Saturday, February 12, 2011

Social media vs social SEDUCTION

Social media, including Linkedin, is exciting because you can SEDUCE people and you don't even have to put on make-up or a fancy dress.

Anyways, that was my insight as I woke up today: social seduction is MORE powerful than social media.

Everybody is talking about social media today, and there are many people suddenly becoming social media "experts."

They even teach others about how to use social media like Facebook. Now, nothing wrong about that. The advanced users of any new technology, have always taught the less advanced people. It's people helping people, and that's great.

But here's the killer insight if you want to REALLY benefit professionally, economically and/or financial from social media: FOCUS ON SEDUCTION, NOT ON MEDIA.

Media is just the means, seduction is the end. Let's not confuse the two.

Linkedin -- especially Linkedin Answers -- is a social media that I use as the MEANS to achieve the END, which is SEDUCTION.

Social media, then, is like a giant party, everybody is invited. But it's not because you find yourself physically at a party that you suddenly become popular and people become attracted to you.

You've got to be "sexy" AND "seductive."

"Sexy" means you "obviously have what they desperately want." Let me explain this so you don't get the wrong picture!

On Linkedin, for example, you've got to look successful and distinguished and experienced and KNOWLEDGEABLE. In short, show your best assets. If you've got it, flaunt it. Your career assets, I mean.

"Seductive" means your every word will serve to draw people to you. This means you master language enough to influence the mind of your interlocutors so they feel good every time you speak or write.

That's what I mean when I say that one should focus on SEDUCTION, not on the SOCIAL MEDIA.

In other words, what is your MESSAGE?

On Linkedin, your message is only about one thing: What you are the best at.

Your Linkedin profile must be screaming, "I'm the very best at ____________ so please get in touch with me and let's work together."

Better yet, include PowerPoint presentations in your Linkedin profile to PROVE your claim that you are, indeed, the best at what you claim to be the best at.

Bottom line is that if your message is not clear, then being connected to 1,000 or even 10,000 is not going to be useful or beneficial to you. None or few of those people will remember who you are, anyways.

So the key is really to explore who you are and determine what you are the best at (or what you commit to being the best at).

In 2009, I developed a workshop for McGill University to teach people how to discover what they are the best at. Send me an email at peter.idealcareer@gmail.com and I'll be happy to send you the workshop slides (at no charge) so you can discover the area you naturally excel at.