Admit it. Like an Obama you-hope-face-2.0-change mashup video-** Social Media is everywhere.** The blogosphere is forcing it down our collectively intelligent throats.
But** WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?** The blogosphere forgot to fill us in. Don't get me wrong, I believe its a useful word. But, sometimes, the web development community gets so caught up in expanding and defining the work that we do, that we forget to formally communicate new ideas and useful "jargon" to others.
Social Media is not a buzzword- its useful jargon.
What's the difference between "jargon" and "buzzwords"? Kathy Sierra wrote a wonderful piece on this. She states, "buzzwords are used toimpress or mislead,jargon is used to communicate more efficiently andinterestingly with others who share a similar level of knowledge and skills in a specific area."
So a few tips to consider BEFORE using the phrase "social media":
** Do:**
- Identify new and useful jargon before you start promoting it.
- Educate stakeholders and partners first.
** Don't:**
- Jump on the band wagon yourself, before getting understanding
- Don't jump into implementation before you PLAN, and don't plan until leadership UNDERSTANDS Social Media.