The story goes that in 1957, when discussing a relatively new invention known as an English novelist, playwright, and television host, John Boynton Priestly commented:
“Already the spectators, when we were not watching, we began to whisper to each other that the more we elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.”
Or when interpreted by modern academic types:
“That as the number of communication methods increases, the quality of communication decreases.”
This is the Priestly paradox.
While this comment can be viewed in various ways as cynical, technophobic, outdated, or just plain wrong (go back to the Priestly times and stop being so negative, you are wrong!); I contend that in many cases in the digital social space we inhabit, Priestly got the money right.
You do not believe me? Imagine explaining the concept of social media to someone in 1957 (or even 2007 for that matter):
- Express yourself – in 140 characters or less
- Show appreciation for a statement: clicking like
- Laughing out loud – don’t actually laugh, just type LOL
- Maintain friendships – with people you never met
Is it fair to say that the quality of communication has declined?
Yes, but this is an example of a ‘glass half empty’, it lacks context and does not begin to touch on the positives. Social media is a powerful tool for businesses and can be very beneficial from the perspective of customer engagement, B2B networks, public relations, and marketing, depending on how they are used.
It’s what I want to focus on.
Do you have one of ‘those people’ on your company’s Twitter or Facebook that shares each and every link related in some way to your field on any given day?
“9 Ways To Generate New Leads”, “You Must Use The App To Track Social Trends”, “33.3 Ways To Achieve Instant Success”.
In a misguided attempt to be seen as an informed credible source or thought leader in your industry, these accounts can be seen as annoying, self-absorbed, and crying out for attention. What’s worse is that they are probably one of 50 people in the same loosely related field who will share the same thing on the same day. It is impersonal, it shows a lack of ideas, and in this case it shows that Priestly is correct.
I like to think that social tools can be used to increase the quality of communication, so when designing a social media strategy for your business, think: How can I prove Priestly wrong?
Here are some ideas:
- A ‘no link without context’ policy: When you share a link, relate to your company, your customers or your industry and explain why it is important / relevant / applicable / good / bad, etc. This is easier said than done with 140 characters, but that only emphasizes the need to think carefully before posting something.
- Creation of your own original content and comments.: Really pretty simple, whenever possible, try to produce your content in-house.
- Quality over quantity: You’re probably not at all interested in what your clients had for lunch or the funny video someone found on their break, so why bore them with these details? This is largely related to the two points above.
- Use manners: Thank people for retweets, welcome new followers and friends, and stay friendly regardless of the medium you’re using. You may not be communicating in person, but it can still be enjoyable.
There will always be some degree of detachment from social media interactions, but following these simple guides (and remember they are just guides) can help you create more relevant, engaging, personal, and effective business communication in the social space.