This is a great article and wicked true and important to read and grok. I love Seth Godin, I read his blog everyday and have been for years. I like him, I trust him, but I don't always agree with him. Thank god. Through social media, in fact, I am learning to trust my own voice more and more. Respecting knowledge holders is important. Finding your own true voice and being kind are essential to working in this new territory. Hold on, maybe that behavior is important everywhere??? ;) ps- the Dalai Lama says that once you know the rules, then breaking them is appropriate. or not
jsinkeywest
· 9 months ago
Please don't get mad but how can you read a blog that has no comments ? Any blog that you can't comment on I'm out. Also I don't get it maybe that's why I write about these kinds of things more often. I bet 1000 if you read my blog and Seth's for 30 days not only would you get some backlinks but I BET you'd learn more from mine seriously:) I got the Grand if you want to test it :) Peace
madpotter
· 9 months ago
You know what I love about this planet and this species? We can all do whatever we want, when ever we want how ever we want. i love Seth's blog with or wiht out comments. he stared by breaking the rules and that was one of them. You go right ahead and skip the blog with no comments. Tough to comment here on ablog you don't read. oops, don't get mad. ;) ps- what's the grand and where can I test it? Oh, and where do you blog? oh wait, just looked and not interested. Sorry. (I don't smoke pot)
jsinkeywest
· 9 months ago
You know what your a sweetheart :) POTPOLITICS is actually NOT about POT but actually the premise basically examines why do people suck up to the wrong people. How a nobody worked hard and won in the end :) Most of my visitors are women and I do appreciate your response does SETH LOL :) just kidding I wish you the best Thanks
zohaibusman
· 9 months ago
I mean simple. Some rules are made to be broken if you have some good reasons :) good stuff BTW
Viralwordpress
· 8 months ago
Zohaibusman, I couldn't agree more! But does someone else have some better examples?
There has got to be more than 5.
zohaibusman
· 8 months ago
there must be lots of examples i am sure far better than the above ones ok so lets define the 6th rule and then break it :)
Viralwordpress
· 8 months ago
Zohaibusman, how about Rule 6: Any ideas? I'm thinking along the lines of The average person, or marketers on social media or ???
Any feedback. One idea I had since no one really uses video commenting to much on mashable is to start a very long comment thread using video: comment on a popular topic, then get carried away with it to the point where the comments on mashable become the topic.
Eventually gathering a following, and turning the comments into their own show.
Or???
zohaibusman
· 8 months ago
ahannnn. so yo want to break the rule of text comments and start video comments on mashable :) Yes you have a reason to break the rule. but u have to succeed. so u defined the rule no 6 to break. Bravo. cool
Evan
· 9 months ago
Really nice article...some cool case studies. I never follow Guru, I think anyone that is called a guru or labels themselves as such is a fraud and only looking to make money off people without a clue.
Susan RoAne
· 9 months ago
Interesting advice. The comparison to standup is illuminating and relates to the advice for professional speakers. I never "sounded" like them nor do I still do some of the shtick I see and hear them do. Breaking a few rules that make no sense (and harm no one) makes sense to me! As for trusting "gurus", Peter Drucker is credited with saying that the term "guru" became popular because journalists couldn't spell "charlatan".
Alice McKeon
· 7 months ago
Hello Susan! I remember when you published your book, How to Work a Room. Thanks for the post. David Spark wrote a fascinating article and I watched his video about it as well. You are witty as always. And you are right; authenticity and genuineness are appreciated.
Lewis Webb
· 9 months ago
All interesting case studies, but could 1-4 be called "the rules" of social media? and #5 is a very rare outcome of something that happens way too often.
SEOcopy
· 9 months ago
Becky Blanton is my hero. I have always played differently. Maybe it's because I was an only child and had to entertain myself but, ultimately it's who I've become. Hey that's not to say following the crowd isn't fun sometimes. But as the old saying goes think outside the box, don 't be afraid to speak your mind. Your brand is not your logo, your name, your tagline. Your brand is what people think & say about you. Brilliant!
p@r@noid
· 9 months ago
I will try to make the 6th rule
Shonali Burke, ABC
· 9 months ago
Great post. I would imagine for every five success stories that are profiled, there are countless other "rule-breakers" who are marching to their own drum... and making it work. This really applies to anything, though, doesn't it, and not just social media? At least, I think it does. Thanks for a really interesting read.
Rob Murray
· 9 months ago
Transparency in all social media must always be the priority, and it should be natural never contrived.
Thanks great article
Donna M. Angevine
· 9 months ago
I don't know if one would consider this breaking a social medial rule but it was definitely an "oops." I insulted Guy Kawasaki (UNINTENTIONALLY) by questioning if he was really following me on twitter and wondering into twitterdom where he thought I was going that he would want to follow me. And he responded by saying he wasn't a stalker and then he unfollowed me! :-( But then he re-followed me so all is good since I am a HUGE fan of his. Anyone else have an experience such as mine?
Graeme Davidson
· 9 months ago
I have had a few comments on my blog by others telling me how to post correctly. I don't like that, as it is my personal blog. Surely that puts me in the driving seat to do whatever I want with it? The same with all other social media - sometimes I don't speak on Twitter for days and still get another 20 to 30 people following me. I think the rules of social media are made by idiots who call themselves experts as they have 500 friends on facebook, 1000 followers on Twitter and a blog that has been up and running for over 2 years. So just ignore them and do it the way you want!
Tabitha "Tabz" Smith
· 9 months ago
The only real rule I learned in college. Learn the rules, know why they're rules, and then break them accordingly.
Sean Clark
· 9 months ago
This is a great article which highlights the danger of always listening to the supposed experts.
Social Media is evolving at a faster pace than any one expert could possibly keep up with. It would not exist itself without innovation, therefore it is no wonder that many are finding innovating ways to use it.
vintagemafia
· 9 months ago
thanks for the tips and links... following those you mentioned on Twitter now
Berlin Detail
· 9 months ago
Rules are there to be broken...it is the one of the oldest stories...I enjoyed reading it!. Thx.
AlexinHouston
· 9 months ago
Do what you want. Say what you feel. Don't worry about the "rules".
andrewmayer
· 9 months ago
Interesting, thought provoking stuff.
Everyone seems convinced that no can make any money, even though plenty of people are.
Celso Hora
· 9 months ago
great great article, David... very inspirational! we have no fences when we talk about social media, 'cause its made by humans to huimans... be smart to talk, be clever to listen and be happy with your sucess! congrats!
TheBlogFather
· 9 months ago
Very Smooth Article. I do not think I ever ever broken any social media rules, maybe because I am relatively new to the scene but I do know that "what works for one person, doesn't necessarily have to work for you." I suppose in a One Size fits all world, playing by everyone else's rules is the norm.
Mary Lorenz
· 9 months ago
I am a big fan of Seth Godin, but I find his implication that there's a certain way 'social media is done' surprising - especially coming from him. To me, social media is one huge work-in-progress. Whatever 'rules' we think exist now are inevitably going to change and evolve.
mncahill
· 9 months ago
Um...the cases you point to would have more bearing if you had the title right: you're talking about social media marketing, not social media.
AJ in Nashville
· 9 months ago
Thanks for this 'spark' of genius, David...(PLUH-DUM-DUM-DUM). ;)
I'm a relative newcomer to Twitter, so I'm just sort of learning the 'rules' as I go, but I definitely see where you're coming from here. My desire is not to be an influencer, so much as a mood-enhancer. I like to make people think and I love to make them smile, so most of my posts have a definite personal sense about them. I love to play off of other folks' comments, even poking fun at those I know to have a good sense of humor.
I work in marketing, but I'm not a marketer; I'm a 'personal blogger,' so what I write about isn't gonna make people rich. I don't post many links and often carry on open conversations from within my timeline. I don't follow-back everyone who follows me. From everything I've read, these are some sure-fire ways to get yourself un-followed. By the standards of some Twitter purists, my 'signal-to-noise' ratio would rank something like a 2-to-98.
Funny thing is, however (no pun intended), my follower list continues to grow, slowly, despite the fact that I rarely follow anyone whom I myself didn't actively decide to follow first.
All that leads me to believe that there's a place in the Twitterverse for folks like me, and that makes me very happy. I've always let it be known that I'm in no way an Internet marketer, and for me to try and pass myself off as one just to stay in the good graces of those around me would be the highest form of hypocricy, IMO. My place in the food chain of Twitter users lays somewhere between Court Jester and Wal-Mart greeter. That's who I am and that's all I want to be.
So thanks for confirming something I sort of already knew; I'd just never heard anyone else describe it so well.
hardlynormal
· 9 months ago
first let me say i am honored. the response to this is amazing and i am grateful for mashable and David for giving me this exposure.
please know that the conversation needs to be about poverty and homelessness, not me! The secondary topic is YOU are the answer. the point is that YOU can do something to change YOUR world. break the rules, change the world, make it better!
this article makes you believe I'm attacking homeless services agencies and i am not. there are lots of great people giving thier all to help others and they need to be supported.
transparency makes people feel uncomfortable and because as far as i know i'm the first doing "reality twittering" while helping homeless it scares some people.
my goal is to come along side these great organizations to augment what they are doing. often a nonprofit has to show what great victory they are doing and people detach from that. they say, "look what they are doing, that's so cool we don't have to do anything, the issue is solved" .
homelessness is a growing crisis. the issue is far from solved and getting worse. invisiblepoeple.tv shows the crisis as it is, real, raw, and uncensored. then it's up to YOU to take action. you either ignore and go to another website, or you talk about it, share the links, gather canned goods and take it to your local food bank, or financially support a homeless services agency in your area.
my three favorite are
PATH Achieve Glendale – PAG is an awesome organization that provides all kinds of homeless services. One of the very best! http://www.achieveglendale.org - the article is a little misleading. PAG and their leadership have always been supportive of what i do. i am currently employed to support the winter shelter grant that ends in a week. PAG would keep me on, but there is no money! words cannot describe how grateful i am for this organization. they are amazing and help lots of people get off the streets.
Union Rescue Mission – besides the normal homeless population they help EVERY DAY, the last count i was given they had 52 new families and over 100 children living at the mission. The family count is growing daily and they need your help. http://urm.org
Los Angeles Dream Center – LADC is the church that helped me get off the streets. Currently they are the ONLY church I know of that is taking in homeless families. Everyday new families are showing up. Words cannot express how great of an organization the Dream Center is. Truly they are a model for other faith-based organizations to follow! http://dreamcenter.org
14 years ago i was homeless on Hollywood Blvd because of 20 years of bad decisions. i've been laid off a few times in the last 8 months and the article is correct i'm close to homelessness myself.
right now the world is insane. if i look at what is going on i go crazy so instead i focus on what is directly in front of me. i cannot help people in NY or Chicago, but i can help the homeless of Los Angeles. how YOU change THE world is by making YOUR world a better place.
thanks everyone for helping to keep the conversation of poverty and homelessness going.
“If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” ~Mother Teresa
Katya
· 8 months ago
Thanks for making this about the homeless and doing so much to make the invisible visible, Mark. You are an inspiration.
Elaine Basham
· 9 months ago
Great article - I think its all simply about being totally honest and willing to see beyond the status quo. You have to be willing to risk being criticized for your opinions. You can't be afraid to jump into the fray to add your own unique perspectives to the conversation - in social media, in work and in life.
CJ
· 9 months ago
What I love about communities like Twitter is that we are each allowed to create our own experience. You're making your own neighborhood, deciding how to behave in it, who to interact with, and how to interact with them.
To your blog's point, you can't just take your "neighbor's word" for how to grow your garden, what to plant, how to cultivate it. What works for them won't work for you. Oh, yeah, plus? If EVERYONE does the same thing, there's no way to stand out.
Thanx for this great post with these succinct reminders that you can succeed without following the perceived "rules".
CJ
· 9 months ago
What I love about communities like Twitter is that we are each allowed to create our own experience. You're making your own neighborhood, deciding how to behave in it, who to interact with, and how to interact with them.
To your blog's point, you can't just take your "neighbor's word" for how to grow your garden, what to plant, how to cultivate it. What works for them won't work for you. Oh, yeah, plus? If EVERYONE does the same thing, there's no way to stand out.
Thanx for this great post with these succinct reminders that you can succeed without following the perceived "rules".
Marjorie Bostwick
· 9 months ago
Being new to the social networking sites, I find that everyone is talking about the same thing...How to use Twitter, How to use Facebook, How to Blog. I am breaking the rules by Spamming in a way that gets the message across. Eventhough they "look-down" on Spam..in a way every Tweet seems to be a Spam because everyone is marketing/selling an idea, thought, article, blog, etc. I will not pretend. I love communicating with people, but I also want to grow my business, which is why I joined. I want to connect with bright minds.
Anne Wood
· 9 months ago
It's sometimes the only way...At my company my director knows very little about social networking so 'asking permission' to set up a corporate Facebook account or Twitter profile would have been pointless. I knew the answer would be 'no'. So I broke the rules and did it anyway, without permission. Result? A popular and successful following on Twitter for my online manager www.twitter.com/@guy1067 and a corporate account which is gaining followers steadily www.twitter.com/@carphoneware. More importantly the Executive management team endorse both accounts and I quote from the MD 'Nobody asked you... you just did it. And it's great.' My philosophy is 'beg forgiveness rather than ask permission'.
Sean in VA
· 9 months ago
Hey, everyone. I'm new to the internet. I assume you're all a bunch of really smart people (by what I've been reading) and that your opinions are all important. Is it "uncool" to use correct punctuation and spelling on the web? I'm just curious. Thanks a lot!
Scott Fox,ECommerceSuccessBlog
· 9 months ago
Great article, David. I agree that there are too many "rules" being set for social media. So your focus on "rule-breaking succes" is timely. Social media is still in its infancy and needs time to evolve before we burden it with too much etiquette. Perhaps even more importantly, the most important part of any "social" activity is the expectations of your audience. These can be friends, family, customers, colleagues, etc. But each brand and each audience enters into an interaction with a different set of expectations. Your job as a marketer is to meet (and exceed) those expectations, not to please some guru whose theories don't apply for your audience. Check out the post I wrote just yesterday called "4 Annoying Myths About Twitter". http://www.scottfox.com/2009/03/4-annoying-twit... This gives guidance on how to use Twitter effectively. (Hint: Don't believe the gurus! Do what's right for your brand and your audience.) It's right in line with your article here today. Scott Fox
Lisa
· 9 months ago
The biggest social rule to adhere to is to be ourselves, and to remember why social media works so well - it is a creation born of ourselves (each individual) that is greater than the sum of it's individual parts. If we stop being ourselves we undermine the very truth that makes social media viable.
Bruce Elkin
· 9 months ago
Great piece, well written, and provocative. I particularly liked the bit in #4 because it relates to something I'm trying to learn to do. So, thanks! Dugg!
CoCreatr
· 9 months ago
Thank you, David Spark, thank you, rule-breakers, thank you, commenters.
In my view, people (hey, that's us!) are just making the "rules" of social media. Just as with laws, expect some contradictions. Much of it works for the greater good, some is just making up the rules as people please. All of this co-creating serves to build a reputation and supports or diminishes trust.
So, what is new? Sheer numbers of connections, speed, focus, maybe perceived transparency. Not new is the need to truly earn attention, reputation, trust. Thank you for reading.
sassypants
· 9 months ago
In addition, Seth Godin gave her props on his blog and second place winner, Ed Brenegar, and she are collaborating on a book together.
LeahOliveira
· 9 months ago
Great post. Very interesting indeed. Goes to show that supposed "gurus" might sometimes fail to see where new opportunities lie.
Becky Blanton
· 9 months ago
Great story and wow - love the responses - all of them. I appreciate the support - and yes, while we disagreed on the frequency and length of my postings it was certainly civil! I did want to say Seth's been one of my top supporters....even took time out to help me focus on some goal setting stuff and be a mentor...and he's much more real and approachable and funny than most people might think. Wickedly dry sense of humor....
We don't agree on everything - he doesn't eat bacon, I do, but we do agree on the important stuff - be authentic, help people, genuinely care and give back. For someone in the spotlight as much as he is - he is amazingly authentic and real. I met him in NYC when he gave his speech about his book - and have never been more pleased to meet a speaker/writer. As a journalist for 22 years I've met a lot of famous folks - from presidents to rock stars and the ones who impress me the most are the ones who remember - we're all just people.
Like Mark, I've been homeless and struggled too, living in a van while freelancing (like Jewel, David Letterman, most famous and not famous musicians, and thousands of the working homeless) and he's right on about what he's doing. The system is designed to keep the homeless homeless and is a bureaucracy committed to meetings and "procedure," NOT to getting people off of the street. When you change the face of "homelessness" to show the real issues you will upset a lot of folks. You rock Mark!!!
David, loved your conclusion. SO true. Follow your own convictions. Thanks for a great article!
klrabbit
· 9 months ago
The first thing I want to know is who made these rules, was there a committee somewhere I wasn't invited to. In this case rules are made to be broken, especially when know one can agree on the rules to begin with
Lee @ TheMillionaireIam.com
· 9 months ago
That's the whole point of innovation. Taking the path less traveled. For an entrepreneur, it's the only shoe that fits. :-D Thank God!
Sam Kinison and Andy Kaufman. Any particular reason you picked two comics who both met untimely deaths?
Allen Taylor
· 9 months ago
Basically, if it doesn't jive with my internal compass then I discard it. It may be wise advice but I learned a long time ago in writing fiction and poetry that the way to win over your audience is to be unique and to moon those a**holes who set the rules. Rules were meant to be broken. Along with the windows.
J
· 9 months ago
You could add Ytcracker to the list and make a 6th rule about being proud of representing an unpopular culture, to the point of promotion of it's character. He makes it cool to be a nerd like Miles Davis did for peeing your pants! Lolz...
maikeru76
· 9 months ago
This reminds me of a maxim: "Know the rules...so you could break them properly..." c",
SharonLD
· 9 months ago
One thing I've noticed about Twitter is that everyone has their own set of rules and thats fine. Just be yourself and respect others ;o)
Business Trends
· 9 months ago
Wow, David! great article, I was very impressed. In my experience, your common sense and blink perception should come first ahead of any rules or guru advice. I challenged Mashable.com's approach to Twitter Brand Sponsors, and was told "Pete Cashmore cannot be wrong". I didn't even say that, but it triggers me to see all sheep looking the same way. Many thanks for this post - I think a parallel between blogging and stand-up qualifies for a piece of its own.
stormgrass
· 9 months ago
I don't get story number 5. Where's the success? Where's breaking the rules?
rafaelmontilla
· 9 months ago
Excellent!!, Simple and hard work.
Imie
· 9 months ago
What an inspiring article - best one I've read today! Thank you!
Christine Perkett
· 9 months ago
Thanks for this - I love these kind of posts that remind people we are all still figuring it out - and like anything in life, some things work well for some, not at all for others. (So beware, the social media 'expert' - again, keep it in perspective.)
I love #3 and #5... and to that PR exec, a reminder from Martha Stewart, "Women in business don't cry, dear."
Seriously - thanks. Follow your own convictions and instincts. Learn what works for you and do it well. And learn from your mistakes - and then share those lessons with the rest of the world. After all, Isn't sharing what we've done/learned/think - and helping the community - what social media is all about?
markwilliams
· 9 months ago
Social Media is Fight Club.
The first rule of social media is there are no rules in social media.
Toby
· 9 months ago
My story is how in 2005, GourmetStation launched one of the first blogs http://is.gd/lx6M associated with a B2C commerce site. We (I was the smm consultant) colored out side of the lines of the acceptable (at that time) rules by introducing a character as the voice and got not flamed but blown-up by the blogerati. However, we knew the strategy was right for the brand, we were honest, transparent and authentic and after engaging with some A-list bloggers who passionately wrote about how wrong the blog DeliciousDestinations was .. we stayed the course.
Four years later the blog is going strong. Many of those nay sayers have since agreed with us. It has accomplished its purpose to in terms of extending the brand, increasing sales, providing patrons with value-added information. Oh yes .. those flames .. helped attract positive attention in terms of inteviews with oline and main stream media. http://is.gd/ha8M
Once more we pushed the envelope when "real" people as guest authors were added to the character T Alexander including the owner of a B&B in Tuscany, a travel writer in Paris, a former butler from the UK, a wine consultant from Atlanta and even a couple of customers. Thanks for the opportunity to tell the end story .. it's been quite an adventure!
Yuwanda Black
· 9 months ago
To answer the questions, ie, "What social media rules have you broken? How do you filter advice and learn when to accept it and when to ignore it?"
I say don't feel pressured to do something -- even if everyone's touting that you must Twitter, have a MySpace, a LinkedIn account, etc.
I don't engage in social media too much. It's just not my personality -- in spite of the fact that I'm in the industry and provide the service to clients (I'm an SEO and internet marketing writer). I twitter b/c it allows me to stay somewhat plugged in quickly and easily. And, even though I have a MySpace page and a LinkedIn account, I rarely interact on these forums. I just don't have time -- or the truth be told, the interest.
Great, thought-provoking post.
Alecia Huck
· 9 months ago
I love your article. Great collection of ideas. Mine: Don't be the expert.
So many people are out there touting their "expertise" that the term is quickly becoming a bastard of it's own making. It's losing a good meaning and taking on associations that are negative. Like the old saying, "Don't trust someone who tells you to," an "expert" these days often isn't.
If you're lucky, your potential clients may not view you as the above version of an "expert." If they see you as a true giant of your field, you may have a different problem. Experts are expensive. Many people looking for direct services are not looking for an expert or the associated costs. Many are looking for the amount of expertise a) required to produce the desired results and b) that they can afford.
While we may want to read the experts books or follow their blog and some of us, even hire them directly for our big company, I work with lots of little guys who, like many humans, think "pretty damn good" is good enough. Instead of chasing expertise, can you be someone with pretty damn good ideas, strategies and services? You may not be the "expert" who knows everything, but you may also find you're too busy to care.
Thanks! Alecia Huck "I'm kind of a big deal."
Amber Walkowiak
· 9 months ago
I can definitely use this. Thanks for the insight! I'm the type of person who really likes rules, but I also see the value in questioning them sometimes.
And oh my god on the PR firm that's against transparency. Those people are why this profession gets a bad rap sometimes. Gah.
Analisa
· 9 months ago
These are great stories, it is always fascinating to look back at history and see how so many amazing inventions and ideas were the result of people breaking rules and convention. I think that what makes social media so great is that we are making up the rules as we go, and the only really static guideline is true about all things in life: Treat others the way you want to be treated. That means putting out the positive and valuable things that you have to offer, hoping that you will receive similar gifts in return. Sounds cheesy now that I say it, but I really think it is worth reiterating. The popular adage "Content is king" is basically the same idea, is it not?
Thank you for this informative post, I enjoyed your insight and thoughtfulness.
David Spark
· 9 months ago
Hello everyone. David Spark here. Author of this article/blog post. Thanks so much for your kind words and great insight. I've actually got a follow up video response to all your comments on my blog, plus some other follow up links for you.
BTW, I tried four times to record a Seesmic video response so it would appear here in the comments, but it just kept crapping out on me. So that's why the response is on my blog.
Chuck Duncan
· 9 months ago
Seth has many more gems. But I've actually found that the blogger/writer/person/personality has to find their voice in this media. A social media prerequisite is that you have soemthing to say that strikes true, not interesting, with others. We used to it resonance.
Cheers.
Ardi
· 9 months ago
This is a fantastic article! I am fairly new to this new media thing and am beginning to open my mind up to new things. A great read! Thanks.
tomddevisscher
· 9 months ago
I've been homeless before.what we need is for everyone to be completely intelligent about reproductive powers and reproduce a completely intelligent loving world.The workers know where the money comes from and the end of dirty politics,business,and dirty religion will end lots of unneccesary spending.Everyone should be a great person.We should all be walking cathedrals.The rules that a woman can't run the church needs to end along with ending the dirty confessional system.50 woman senators would help balance our unbalanced Christmas world.Heartily your, Tom D. DeVisscher www.bishopsgoldenhealingchurch.com
Tristan Grace
· 9 months ago
Interesting Article
Kathleen Smith
· 9 months ago
Awesome! staying true to yourself and breaking the rules allows for creatvity and individuality.
James
· 9 months ago
Awesome!
FlairMedia
· 8 months ago
Thanks David. Many years ago I stood up in a meeting and spoke my mind to a group of people who were very concerned that I was breaking the rules they had so carefully cultivated. Let's just say my p.o.v. got people talking for the next two hours. Worst of all I was afraid I may have offended my very play-by-the-rules parents who were members of that organization. Imagine my surprise when my dad said, "God gave you a mouth. You're supposed to use it." Isn't that what social media and being a conversation agent is all about?
Rizzo Tees
· 8 months ago
"Don't always follow Seth Godin's advice." NOT A PROBLEM!
QuestingElf
· 8 months ago
Anne Rhoades who used to work at Southwest Airlines in HR has a favorite question to ask job applicants, namely, "Tell me about a time you broke the rules."
Good material here!
Tia Singh aka @TiaSparkles
· 8 months ago
Here's my 2 cents: WHO is anyone to make the rules anyways!? Rules shmules - don't be a cow in the herd. Be a free spirit ;)
John
· 8 months ago
I had a conversation about "rules" today with someone. I have worked with people in the past that don't care about the rules because they let the numbers work for them. While on the surface you would think they would flame out, they still get more done because they are in front of more people. There's a lesson in that too. All depends on how much you want to work.
Rafer
· 8 months ago
What utter tripe
"Seth Godin gave her props on his blog" The number of 30+ year olds who still try to talk like children saddens me.
Batman
· 8 months ago
I recently posted on Linked In that I have roughly a thousand tweets per actual follower realized, and got slammed for the privilege. I'm going to continue to perform The Experiment, and F'em if they can't take a joke....
Rebecca Geiger
· 8 months ago
Even though the most sincere appreciation is to be "copied".. I think in the world of copy cats it is nice to find someone you follow who is unique enough that you would want to copy one thing.. Courage.
@mycarlady
· 8 months ago
NIce job. Spoken from the heart, with heart. As a social media green pea, i cant possibly read everything, but this pc. summed it up 4 me. THX @mycarlady
John King
· 7 months ago
Just want to say thanks from a guy who never knows how to do it right, rather, simply follows his intuition, and takes the make wrong hit if the action is somehow 'bad. Thanks for getting up under committed and creative human beings who are forever getting corrected because they are breaking some effing sacred rule or standardized protocol. Thanks.
Yura
· 7 months ago
I think it is both, actually.
You need to do what you like and listen to the people: maybe they'll help you discover something that matters to both of you, too.
GroveCanada
· 6 months ago
You need most of the people to follow the rules, so that you can get your message out by breaking the rules...If everyone breaks the rules it doesn't work...If everyone else is breaking the rules, the only way to get heard is by abiding by the rules...
Swati S
· 6 months ago
The content is indeed informative and my team shall definitely look at the salient points to cross check our strategy and strength. We have just done a soft launch of our maiden social networking site seemybrands.com
AKA
· 2 months ago
Hi,
I didn't find anything extraordinary about theses 5 people because they just want make money online and they do the opposite of the regulars guys and they make $20,000 in sale.
So next time go to get the heavy guy who make tons millions dollars with twitter or youtube... and show us...
All Comments
Any blog that you can't comment on I'm out. Also I don't get it maybe that's why
I write about these kinds of things more often.
I bet 1000 if you read my blog and Seth's for 30 days not only would you
get some backlinks but I BET you'd learn more from mine seriously:)
I got the Grand if you want to test it :)
Peace
How a nobody worked hard and won in the end :) Most of my visitors are women and I do appreciate your response does SETH LOL :) just kidding
I wish you the best Thanks
good stuff BTW
But does someone else have some better examples?
There has got to be more than 5.
ok so lets define the 6th rule and then break it :)
Any feedback. One idea I had since no one really uses video commenting to much on mashable is to start a very long comment thread using video: comment on a popular topic, then get carried away with it to the point where the comments on mashable become the topic.
Eventually gathering a following, and turning the comments into their own show.
Or???
Yes you have a reason to break the rule. but u have to succeed.
so u defined the rule no 6 to break. Bravo. cool
Thanks great article
Anyone else have an experience such as mine?
The same with all other social media - sometimes I don't speak on Twitter for days and still get another 20 to 30 people following me.
I think the rules of social media are made by idiots who call themselves experts as they have 500 friends on facebook, 1000 followers on Twitter and a blog that has been up and running for over 2 years. So just ignore them and do it the way you want!
Social Media is evolving at a faster pace than any one expert could possibly keep up with. It would not exist itself without innovation, therefore it is no wonder that many are finding innovating ways to use it.
Everyone seems convinced that no can make any money, even though plenty of people are.
we have no fences when we talk about social media, 'cause its made by humans to huimans... be smart to talk, be clever to listen and be happy with your sucess!
congrats!
I'm a relative newcomer to Twitter, so I'm just sort of learning the 'rules' as I go, but I definitely see where you're coming from here. My desire is not to be an influencer, so much as a mood-enhancer. I like to make people think and I love to make them smile, so most of my posts have a definite personal sense about them. I love to play off of other folks' comments, even poking fun at those I know to have a good sense of humor.
I work in marketing, but I'm not a marketer; I'm a 'personal blogger,' so what I write about isn't gonna make people rich. I don't post many links and often carry on open conversations from within my timeline. I don't follow-back everyone who follows me. From everything I've read, these are some sure-fire ways to get yourself un-followed. By the standards of some Twitter purists, my 'signal-to-noise' ratio would rank something like a 2-to-98.
Funny thing is, however (no pun intended), my follower list continues to grow, slowly, despite the fact that I rarely follow anyone whom I myself didn't actively decide to follow first.
All that leads me to believe that there's a place in the Twitterverse for folks like me, and that makes me very happy. I've always let it be known that I'm in no way an Internet marketer, and for me to try and pass myself off as one just to stay in the good graces of those around me would be the highest form of hypocricy, IMO. My place in the food chain of Twitter users lays somewhere between Court Jester and Wal-Mart greeter. That's who I am and that's all I want to be.
So thanks for confirming something I sort of already knew; I'd just never heard anyone else describe it so well.
please know that the conversation needs to be about poverty and homelessness, not me! The secondary topic is YOU are the answer. the point is that YOU can do something to change YOUR world. break the rules, change the world, make it better!
this article makes you believe I'm attacking homeless services agencies and i am not. there are lots of great people giving thier all to help others and they need to be supported.
transparency makes people feel uncomfortable and because as far as i know i'm the first doing "reality twittering" while helping homeless it scares some people.
my goal is to come along side these great organizations to augment what they are doing. often a nonprofit has to show what great victory they are doing and people detach from that. they say, "look what they are doing, that's so cool we don't have to do anything, the issue is solved" .
homelessness is a growing crisis. the issue is far from solved and getting worse. invisiblepoeple.tv shows the crisis as it is, real, raw, and uncensored. then it's up to YOU to take action. you either ignore and go to another website, or you talk about it, share the links, gather canned goods and take it to your local food bank, or financially support a homeless services agency in your area.
my three favorite are
PATH Achieve Glendale – PAG is an awesome organization that provides all kinds of homeless services. One of the very best! http://www.achieveglendale.org - the article is a little misleading. PAG and their leadership have always been supportive of what i do. i am currently employed to support the winter shelter grant that ends in a week. PAG would keep me on, but there is no money! words cannot describe how grateful i am for this organization. they are amazing and help lots of people get off the streets.
Union Rescue Mission – besides the normal homeless population they help EVERY DAY, the last count i was given they had 52 new families and over 100 children living at the mission. The family count is growing daily and they need your help. http://urm.org
Los Angeles Dream Center – LADC is the church that helped me get off the streets. Currently they are the ONLY church I know of that is taking in homeless families. Everyday new families are showing up. Words cannot express how great of an organization the Dream Center is. Truly they are a model for other faith-based organizations to follow! http://dreamcenter.org
for more information on what i do please visit http://pitch.pe/4732
14 years ago i was homeless on Hollywood Blvd because of 20 years of bad decisions. i've been laid off a few times in the last 8 months and the article is correct i'm close to homelessness myself.
right now the world is insane. if i look at what is going on i go crazy so instead i focus on what is directly in front of me. i cannot help people in NY or Chicago, but i can help the homeless of Los Angeles. how YOU change THE world is by making YOUR world a better place.
thanks everyone for helping to keep the conversation of poverty and homelessness going.
“If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”
~Mother Teresa
To your blog's point, you can't just take your "neighbor's word" for how to grow your garden, what to plant, how to cultivate it. What works for them won't work for you. Oh, yeah, plus? If EVERYONE does the same thing, there's no way to stand out.
Thanx for this great post with these succinct reminders that you can succeed without following the perceived "rules".
To your blog's point, you can't just take your "neighbor's word" for how to grow your garden, what to plant, how to cultivate it. What works for them won't work for you. Oh, yeah, plus? If EVERYONE does the same thing, there's no way to stand out.
Thanx for this great post with these succinct reminders that you can succeed without following the perceived "rules".
I agree that there are too many "rules" being set for social media. So your focus on "rule-breaking succes" is timely.
Social media is still in its infancy and needs time to evolve before we burden it with too much etiquette.
Perhaps even more importantly, the most important part of any "social" activity is the expectations of your audience. These can be friends, family, customers, colleagues, etc.
But each brand and each audience enters into an interaction with a different set of expectations.
Your job as a marketer is to meet (and exceed) those expectations, not to please some guru whose theories don't apply for your audience.
Check out the post I wrote just yesterday called "4 Annoying Myths About Twitter".
http://www.scottfox.com/2009/03/4-annoying-twit...
This gives guidance on how to use Twitter effectively. (Hint: Don't believe the gurus! Do what's right for your brand and your audience.)
It's right in line with your article here today.
Scott Fox
In my view, people (hey, that's us!) are just making the "rules" of social media. Just as with laws, expect some contradictions. Much of it works for the greater good, some is just making up the rules as people please. All of this co-creating serves to build a reputation and supports or diminishes trust.
So, what is new? Sheer numbers of connections, speed, focus, maybe perceived transparency. Not new is the need to truly earn attention, reputation, trust. Thank you for reading.
We don't agree on everything - he doesn't eat bacon, I do, but we do agree on the important stuff - be authentic, help people, genuinely care and give back. For someone in the spotlight as much as he is - he is amazingly authentic and real. I met him in NYC when he gave his speech about his book - and have never been more pleased to meet a speaker/writer. As a journalist for 22 years I've met a lot of famous folks - from presidents to rock stars and the ones who impress me the most are the ones who remember - we're all just people.
Like Mark, I've been homeless and struggled too, living in a van while freelancing (like Jewel, David Letterman, most famous and not famous musicians, and thousands of the working homeless) and he's right on about what he's doing. The system is designed to keep the homeless homeless and is a bureaucracy committed to meetings and "procedure," NOT to getting people off of the street. When you change the face of "homelessness" to show the real issues you will upset a lot of folks. You rock Mark!!!
David, loved your conclusion. SO true. Follow your own convictions. Thanks for a great article!
Lee
http://www.Chat2Text.mobi
Many thanks for this post - I think a parallel between blogging and stand-up qualifies for a piece of its own.
I love #3 and #5... and to that PR exec, a reminder from Martha Stewart, "Women in business don't cry, dear."
Seriously - thanks. Follow your own convictions and instincts. Learn what works for you and do it well. And learn from your mistakes - and then share those lessons with the rest of the world. After all, Isn't sharing what we've done/learned/think - and helping the community - what social media is all about?
The first rule of social media is there are no rules in social media.
Four years later the blog is going strong. Many of those nay sayers have since agreed with us. It has accomplished its purpose to in terms of extending the brand, increasing sales, providing patrons with value-added information. Oh yes .. those flames .. helped attract positive attention in terms of inteviews with oline and main stream media. http://is.gd/ha8M
Once more we pushed the envelope when "real" people as guest authors were added to the character T Alexander including the owner of a B&B in Tuscany, a travel writer in Paris, a former butler from the UK, a wine consultant from Atlanta and even a couple of customers. Thanks for the opportunity to tell the end story .. it's been quite an adventure!
I say don't feel pressured to do something -- even if everyone's touting that you must Twitter, have a MySpace, a LinkedIn account, etc.
I don't engage in social media too much. It's just not my personality -- in spite of the fact that I'm in the industry and provide the service to clients (I'm an SEO and internet marketing writer). I twitter b/c it allows me to stay somewhat plugged in quickly and easily. And, even though I have a MySpace page and a LinkedIn account, I rarely interact on these forums. I just don't have time -- or the truth be told, the interest.
Great, thought-provoking post.
So many people are out there touting their "expertise" that the term is quickly becoming a bastard of it's own making. It's losing a good meaning and taking on associations that are negative. Like the old saying, "Don't trust someone who tells you to," an "expert" these days often isn't.
If you're lucky, your potential clients may not view you as the above version of an "expert." If they see you as a true giant of your field, you may have a different problem. Experts are expensive. Many people looking for direct services are not looking for an expert or the associated costs. Many are looking for the amount of expertise a) required to produce the desired results and b) that they can afford.
While we may want to read the experts books or follow their blog and some of us, even hire them directly for our big company, I work with lots of little guys who, like many humans, think "pretty damn good" is good enough. Instead of chasing expertise, can you be someone with pretty damn good ideas, strategies and services? You may not be the "expert" who knows everything, but you may also find you're too busy to care.
Thanks!
Alecia Huck
"I'm kind of a big deal."
And oh my god on the PR firm that's against transparency. Those people are why this profession gets a bad rap sometimes. Gah.
I think that what makes social media so great is that we are making up the rules as we go, and the only really static guideline is true about all things in life: Treat others the way you want to be treated. That means putting out the positive and valuable things that you have to offer, hoping that you will receive similar gifts in return. Sounds cheesy now that I say it, but I really think it is worth reiterating. The popular adage "Content is king" is basically the same idea, is it not?
Thank you for this informative post, I enjoyed your insight and thoughtfulness.
http://www.sparkminute.com/?p=556
BTW, I tried four times to record a Seesmic video response so it would appear here in the comments, but it just kept crapping out on me. So that's why the response is on my blog.
Cheers.
Good material here!
Rules shmules - don't be a cow in the herd. Be a free spirit ;)
"Seth Godin gave her props on his blog"
The number of 30+ year olds who still try to talk like children saddens me.
You need to do what you like and listen to the people: maybe they'll help you discover something that matters to both of you, too.
I didn't find anything extraordinary about theses 5 people because they just want make money online and they do the opposite of the regulars guys and they make $20,000 in sale.
So next time go to get the heavy guy who make tons millions dollars with twitter or youtube... and show us...