Do I Really Have To Get LinkedIn?

Every week, I have an opportunity to talk with an individual or a group about social media, such as LinkedIn and Twitter. Last week we taught a workshop on the topic. Most people in the group were eager to get more tips on making better use of these tools. A couple of people shook their heads "No," they said, "I'm not doing that." Still others said, "Do we really have to?"

I could argue that it is effective. And it can be. I can argue that it's better and quicker than calling everyone in your Rolodex (do you still have one on your desk, too? If so, you should take this fun quiz to test your how old your really are by evaluating your social media skills But the more important thing...is that it is how things work now. It just is. I don't doubt that after the wheel was invented, there were late adopters, critics, and naysayers. But today, I can't think of a single group of people that doesn't use them.

We all realized somewhere between five and ten years ago that we had to use e-mail and do on-line applications. We have no choice. Not because it's a fad. It is what is.

Personally, I like a mortar and pestle, not a food processor. I like bicycles more than cars. I hesitated to use any cell phone, let alone a smart one. A year ago, I found myself asking other team members to take and send photos of our events. Then I realized, I need to do it myself too. I got a Droid. Now I take pictures and text. I realized that I have more than two decades more to work. I can't fall behind now! So, while I'm not the most current. I know I need to embrace technology.

I love to communicate in writing, and friends have been telling me for the past few years that I need to get a blog. I couldn't muster my fortitude to do it. I went to a Social Media Workshop last month where we were instructed to set up a blog as part of the class, and what you are reading is the result. Prior to the workshop, I had questioned whether I had missed the boat on blogs, or if I should save myself for books. Then, I realized that people will always be communicating with words. Blogs are one of the ways we do it now. It is what is. I don't need to question it anymore.

I have a team member that just reached what she deems the "Social Security age". Six months ago, she wasn't interested in a smart phone. "Too much money," she said. For some reason to got one anyway by September, and was eager to visit with her brothers and sisters,and be "the one who knows everything." She would tell how to get to the restaurant by using her google maps, and look up the answers to all the questions about which actress starred in that movie. Unfortunately, a hurricane cancelled the trip. She was disappointed to lose out on the opportunity to be the one with the phone. She will get her chance. Her plan is to stay current, because you never know how you will have to communicate with the utility company five years from now. Or five months. It changes fast. But it is just communication. That's all it is. And we've been doing that since our first year. I think most of us can manage it. It is what is.

So set up that LinkedIn account, follow that company you like on Twitter. Get yourself a blog and send me the link! Do you have any tweet successes to share? I'd love to hear them!