Activating Your Social Media Superhero
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 | 25 Comments
Tags: conversational listening, engage online, social media community, Social Media Monitoring, social media skills
Posted in: Community, Listening, Social Media Monitoring
You know that when it comes to embracing social media within organizations we often see the person leading the charge literally tackling the challenge with the skills of a social media superhero. And like most superheros they don’t think anything of the special powers they have activated in themselves and those around them. They remain humble and focused on the community they have pledged to serve.
Do you have these secret strengths inside you just waiting to break free? We think you probably do. Take a fun look at some of the special skills we’ve seen illustrated so wonderfully by the many social media superheros we’ve come to know.
The Top 10 Qualities of a Social Media Superhero
1. The strength of a thousand community members – Being a social media superhero often requires carrying the extra load of doing the “day job” while donning the cape of learning, exploring, and developing your social media skills. You need to dig deep down to find the energy and diplomacy to fly through potential bureaucracies, policies and corporate culture.
2. Shape shifting abilities – The ability to shape and shift your company’s culture towards one that is “community-centric” as opposed to target market only focused. This is potentially a massive shift for many companies because of the momentum towards continuing with what’s worked in the past.
3. Desire to live within your community – The practice of living amongst the community you serve, conversing with them, helping them, sharing and generally helping it to advance. Sorry, having a cool lair in a mountain may be cool but how can you truly understand the needs of the community if you are decidedly separated from them?
4. Super human listening – There are millions of conversations happening in the naked city of social media and you not only need to make sure your powerful ears are open, but you are honing in on the specific things where you can help. Crises can erupt, needs can be expressed, crowds can form around ideas and more and your super hero powers of community can be called into action in a flash.
5. The agility of a cat – Social media never sleeps. The response time expectations of the community ain’t your father’s community response time. Engaging with the community once you know what they need requires agility and focus and the ability to navigate the mazes within your own company.
6. The leadership to assemble your own social media justice league – Collaboration is the name of the game when it comes to solving problems within your community. And this same approach is generally required within your own company. You can’t do it alone, so you will need to find and activate the social media superhero within others in your organization.
7. Unending passion for what you do – Yes, being a superhero can sometimes be a misunderstood and unappreciated role. But at the core of all of your strength, indeed the strength of all of the social media superhero collaborators, is passion. For all of the long hours you will put in to listen, engage and act, you will need to have passion for what your business does. In fact, it is this same passion that your community will find so attractive about you and what you do.
8. Unparalleled bravery – Like a firefighter, you will find yourself running into a burning building of an online issue when everyone is running quickly in the opposite direction. While complaints about your brand are far from the only things you will encounter in your quest, they may be some of the most challenging. But they represent a chance to learn, to help someone, and to potentially repair or build a new relationship.
9. The ability to leap powerfully with both feet – Perhaps it’s not a tall building, but jumping into social media requires courage. It’s pretty hard to dip in a toe and truly know what it means to be a social media superhero. In many ways it just means deciding that the time is now and the community needs you…how can you go wrong by answering their call? It starts with listening; the first engagement leads to the next and you build from there. This is a lifestyle, not a campaign.
10. Commitment for the long-haul – The community loves a social media superhero with the same passion for things they are also passionate about. With their powerful listening abilities, helpful engagements and never ending action, a community grows to know they can depend on help from the social media superhero when they need it.
We believe you have it in you. Do you? Are you ready to don the cape and be your community’s next social media superhero?
25 Responses to “Activating Your Social Media Superhero”
David Alston on November 18th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Thanks Sonny. I’m pretty sure I’ve caught a glimpse of your cape before. Your secret is safe with me. 
Anna Barcelos on November 18th, 2009 at 10:53 am
David:
Great post. I have always felt this way as a marketer, initially “leaping tall buildings” to avoid challenges presented when thinking outside the box but then sticking to what I believed in and helping others see that point of view.
I think that has made me a resilient person when it comes to the latest and greatest things in marketing including social media (not so latest and greatest anymore). Key is to stay in for long haul as you mention and not treat it like the latest toy but as a supplement to the classic marketing “toolbox.”
David Alston on November 18th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Indeed Anna, indeed. Social media has presented marketers with a chance to easily listen and engage with their communities, something that was always possible before in the offline world but was far more difficult to regularly achieve. I think now it’s far more easier for everyone to activate those superhero qualities that have always lied within. Thanks for your comment.
Linda Ferguson on November 18th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Hey David,
Enjoyed your superhero analogy. I would also add super-vision – the ability to see what’s trending in the future. Will need to rely on people like you to assist in supplying this superpower.
Can we expect to see you starring as a caped crusader in your next video?
Marc Meyer on November 18th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
David…the naked city of social media..? Nice! You need to blog more…but I mean that in the sense, that you always put forth great content…:)
Anna Barcelos on November 18th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I’d have to second Marc. You should definitely share your insights more often
David Alston on November 18th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
@everyone – thanks for that feedback. With @vargasl chasing me more often for a post perhaps I will get more into the swing of things and blog more often
Hmmm, wearing a cape in the next video eh? Well, it would fall into the very cheesy category so sounds like a possibility 
(though definitely not a pretty sight.)
olivier blanchard on November 18th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Excellent piece, Dave. Solid list.
The thing about #8 is,some people have that gene. They actually live for opportunities to run into burning buildings or towards gunfire… and towards customer complaints. In the case of the latter, once you understand that most angry customers are just disappointed fans venting their frustrations, dealing with their complaints actually becomes rewarding. Every complaint is an opportunity to right a wrong, which is what superheroes do.
Again, great post. You should write more.
David Alston on November 18th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
@olivier – Thanks for the thoughts on the post. Agreed on #8. It’s much better to know where someone stands because then at least you have an opportunity to make things right. Thanks for the encouragement to write more – I don’t know how you guys do it so often and still have time to sleep
Mari Smith on November 18th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Excellent post, David! I’m a big believer in #7 – unending passion for what you do. I thoroughly enjoyed Frank Eliason @comcastcares at BlogWorld this year; he said the #1 trait all successful people in/using social media share is *passion.* Not just passionate about the company/brand/products etc., but uber passionate about customers.
I really think whether a company/business owner has 100 or 1million peeps in their social networking community, it’s a responsibility. But a good one, not from a sense of burden, but from a sense of leadership and knowing that *everything matters* – each message (or non message!) we send can have an impact on our community.
Two thumbs up!
Gene Fowler on November 19th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Great post!
Share more of what’s inside that head my man.
Lovley stuff,
gene
David Alston on November 19th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Mari, again thanks for your kind words on the post. I couldn’t agree with you more on passion. I think it is the thread that ties every successful community together.
And yes, passion about customers is the underlying foundation of every successful biz that I’ve ever known. Combining this passion for their community and customers is an amazing combination that every business should laser focused on.
Cheryl Hughes on November 19th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Excellent post David! I love the super hero analogy! I think that number #10 is where most potential super heroes are losing their footing. Too many are taking the leap before they look approach to social media not realizing that this is not a one shot endevor but a real commitment. Thanks again for the great post!
David Alston on November 19th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
@cheryl Thanks for that feedback. Yes, you are probably right. Many folks see social media in terms of an apples to apples comparison to another interruption based push media, and often treat it as such. I think if folks looked at social media as a two way channel similar to a phone they would then understand things in a proper context. You wouldn’t disconnect all your phones at your company when you weren’t doing a marketing campaign – what message would that send to customers or prospective customers? Same thing with a presence in social media. Thanks for your comments.
Kat Jaibur on November 22nd, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Great post. If you are doing #3 sincerely, then all the others will stem from it. If you’re focused on understanding and meeting the needs of your community, you will be a better listener, respond bravely to concerns/complaints, reply quickly, galvanize forces, and want to stick around to help things evolve. And from that comes thousands of followers. (Besides, #7 without #3 is narcissism. And we’ve seen enough of that, haven’t we?)
Of course, my fave is #5. But I think you have a typo.
David Alston on November 23rd, 2009 at 9:37 am
Thanks for the great comment Kat. Yes, you are so right. Being community centric changes how you approach everything and all else falls into place. Hmm, can’t find that typo in #5. Let me know
Rob MacCormick on November 24th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Fantastic post! Do you know what I see people have a hard time tackling? They try and figure out if that superhero they are from 9-5 or after hours when in all honesty they need to be that person 24/7/365. That was the fundamental shift for me. Much like Popeye I am who I am.
What many people need to benefit from first is the power of Social Media, thereby enabling their own often hidden talents. You don’t have to be able to save the World but if you can help someone you are making it a better place to live, work and play.
David Alston on November 24th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Well put Rob. It’s less about “doing” social media and more about “being” social media. It’s definitely more of a lifestyle.
Sam Mutimer on November 30th, 2009 at 12:29 am
Spot on David. Punchy and powerful, with every point resonating. This is the first time I have stumbled across your posts, and I’m loving the electricity bolts I’m feeding off from this! Must away to share your point of view on twitter. High fives – Sam @sammutimer
David Alston on November 30th, 2009 at 8:19 am
Hey thanks Sam, glad you were able to don your cape and pop in from Australia. See you on Twitter.
@davidalston
Radian6
Rick Lamb on December 9th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Just call me one of those Decidedly seperate #3’s. They will go off to the mountain for a reason, to blaze a proverbial new trail for themselves- evolve. Not wanting to burn bridges or anticipating to return; could it be- that leaving was the best way the crusader could remind us that remain- of an old lesson: we are our brother’s keepers- our actions and or inactions leave some apples bruised. Some apples eaten, while some apples are transplanted. Some apples evolve to become similar but different, like the old Quince fruit the apple of my eye. love it while its in front of you otherwise it just might get worms, or worse: extinct.
Tweetbacks
Dana_Willhoit (Dana Willhoit) on December 19th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
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amandakathryn (Amanda Kathryn Roman) on December 19th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
RT @Dana_Willhoit: http://www.radian6.com/blog/2009/11/activating-your-social-media-superhero/ I love this article!
StefanW (Stefan Wolpers) on December 19th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
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Sonny Gill on November 18th, 2009 at 10:47 am
Cool post, David! As entertaining as it was, it was also getting down to what not only we should expect out of ourselves as a SM ‘Superhero’, but what companies are expecting today as well.
We have to come well equipped with these powers, to be able to communicate, shift, and grow with our communities – internally and externally. It’s a process, fun and hard at the same time, but one that requires that Superhero touch.
Thanks for the fun post this morning. Inspires me to continue working my way up as a Superhero