7 Ways to Avoid Being a Social Media Clone

I was sitting in a meeting a few days ago and made a statement on how it would be nice if someone could clone me and then send my clone to attend my next meeting. It seemed comical at the moment and everyone chimed in on how productive it would be if they had their own clone as well. Who wouldn’t like to have a personal clone to sit in at meetings, attend jury duty and take care of basic responsibilities? However, within the social media space it has become easier to clone someone else’s ideas and even tone than it is to use the tools at hand to become an extension of the REAL you.

I would imagine the reason why is because it’s always easier to be a copy than it is to be an original.  That’s why every auto-responder message sounds the same – Copy, Paste and Publish, The motto of every clone.

It’s my belief that every person has something to give that’s of value, but if they give in to being just another echo they lose the opportunity to make an impact.

Here are 7 ways to help you escape the cloning chamber.

1.    Begin publishing original content.
2.    Develop your own voice. Not everyone can be a Chris Brogan, Jason Falls or Robert Scoble.
3.    Be human – Social media is about building relationships
4.    Be willing to give your opinion even when everyone doesn’t agree.
5.    Be confident in who you are and what you bring to the table.
6.    Be a connector – Connect people to other people, their ideas and networks
7.    Avoid gimmicks, they only signal desperation

If you notice a clone will never gain attention or stand out from the crowd. The individuals that are doing incredible things are people that are creative, innovative and know how to be OK within their own skin. If you struggle with it, try it! You may be surprise what idea or concept that you can bring to the table.

What would you add to this list? What creative things are you doing with social media?

Leave a comment – I want to learn from you.