My Social Media Strategy, Revealed

Not unlike business plans, it seems like one needs to have a “social media plan” these days. In the past year, many people I know have abandoned Twitter or left Facebook or joined Instagram. And I seem to be in the midst of that periodic flurry of people following me on Twitter or giving me a long treatise about why they want to connect with me on LinkedIn.

So for future edification, but mainly for my own amusement, here is my criteria for connecting with people on social media:

• Facebook: I know who you are in the real world, either from schools or elsewhere, and want to keep up with your personal and professional exploits.
• LinkedIn: I actually know who you are in the real world –even if only in passing– and also wouldn’t mind keeping up with your professional exploits.
• Twitter: I may or may not know you in the real world, but I like the cut of your jib.
• Google+: I can put you in one or more categories.
• Instagram: I know it exists, but do not use it.
• Tumblr: I know it still exists, and still do not use it.
• Ello: I don’t know why it exists.
• Pinterest: Who knows? I have insufficient pinterest.
• Stage32: Meh, whatever. Sure.

If this does not make at least one social media maven’s head explode because of my lack of commitment to networking at all costs, I will be very disappointed.

Update: To answer some people’s angsty offline questions, no this isn’t a ranking of how great particular social media is or how valuable anyone and everyone might find it. Stage 32 has some great classes attached to it (seriously, if you’re a filmmaker, check some of their stuff out), but I see no need to curate my contacts to the same degree like I do on other sites. For example, on LinkedIn some recruiters clearly feel simply knowing your name is sufficient to connect… yet that connection is not valuable to me.

So yeah, see above. I am not disappointed.