66 Awesome Social Media Quotes
Me, My Quotes and I
To say that I’m a huge fan of quotes is a massive understatement. But then again, who isn’t? I’m willing to bet that 8 (5 is too little, 6 doesn’t sound right and 7 is too popular) out of 10 offices have either a framed poster, a paper weight, a mantle piece, or a desk plaque with some kind of famous motivational (or other) saying on it. Am I right or am I right? Hell, I’ll even admit to it. I’ve got a stone paper weight in the shape of a baseball that says something or other about courage and stealing home (Ooops, I thought I had it memorized).
WARNING: Long post but an easy read! You can still turn back now, but you’ll be missing out on some kick-ass quotes (and a few silly rants & ramblings)!
More Rambling About Me, My Quotes and I
Using quotes has become my signature – kinda. I tend to include at least one that’s relevant in every content writing project I take on. No matter the topic or industry – there’s always one that fits just perfectly! I even wrote a book of my personal favorite quotes a few years back, but never got around to publishing it. Wait…let me rephrase that. I wrote the book but I was too lazy to see it through so now it’s sitting on my desktop as a pdf. document.
My quote addiction – although not as strong as my TV or cigarette one – is rather evident on my blog (another one of my addictions). I’ve got a daily quote on the top of my page, which I actually choose and change myself on regular basis (yes, yes I know it’s time consuming and that there are ways to automatically update daily quotes – but I like picking my own according to my moods). I also have this really neat Social Web Words widget by Gary Hayes that displays 1000 randomized “Quotes of the Decade” on Social Media, Internet Marketing, Tech and so forth.
Okay, enough of me blabbing about me, my blog, my quotes and I. Moving along…
Wherever You Go, Social Media Will Follow
Let’s face it folks – Social Media is everywhere today. People talk the “Social Media tongue” without even knowing it at times. Everywhere you go you hear stuff like:
- “I’m totally gonna’ tag you, this is sooo Facebook material.” (F#$!@, please don’t!)
- “Do you have a group on Facebook?” (Uhh, not a personal one, no. But nittyGriddy does!)
- “OMG, I’m tweeting what you just said.” (Really? Why? Who’s following you?)
- “Are you going to the Tweetup on Friday?” (Are you?)
- “Find me on Foursquare.” (I’d much rather you BBM, SMS or WhatsApp me where you are.)
- “Check out my MySpace page.” (MySpace what, who?!)
- “You should really upload our karaoke night on YouTube.” (Do I look like another Justin Bieber wonder to you?)
- “Is your resume on LinkedIn or do you have to email it to me?” (What’s wrong with email? Are people not using that medium anymore? But actually, yes, part of my resume is on LinkedIn!)
- “Do you diss people on your blog?” (Another common misconception that all blogs are about people and personal crap! Have you read my blog? Does it look like I talk about my friends’ personal drama(s) on it?)
If I had a penny (make it a dollar) for every time I heard things like these, I would be Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs and Larry Page – COMBINED!
Wait! I’m Getting to the Point…and the Quotes
My point is, whether you like it or not, it is without a doubt that Social Media has revolutionized the way we think, share information, build brands and connections.
Like any other industry, Social Media has its fair share of quotes and tips by highly regarded people. In an effort to keep you from endlessly scrolling down the page, I’ve limited this nice but not-so-little compilation of quotes to 66 (as if that’s not gonna’ have you scrolling as it is!). I know there are many more, so go ahead and go wild. That’s what the comments section is for!
Happy reading :)!
*Note: The following quotes are in no particular order.
Do you have a favorite one on this list? What other Social Media quotes have you read, heard, or like? Oh, I’d also love to know if you’re part of the 8 out 10 crowd – I am ;)!
66 Kick-Ass Quotes on Social Media
- Activate your fans, don’t just collect them like baseball cards. Jay Baer, Convince & Convert
- I hear YouTube, Twitter and Facebook are merging to form a super Social Media site – YouTwitFace. Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show (June 2009)
- The thing about Social Media that frustrates marketers to no end is that you can’t buy attention and that if you have no choice, but to think and act small, then you’ll try to say well here is a 100,000 person community, how can we buy it? What you’ll do instead if you’re just four people, how can we amaze them? That change in posture, that change in attitude is the single biggest shift, that’s going on the Internet right now. Seth Godin, sethgodin.typepad.com
- Quit counting fans, followers and blog subscribers like bottle caps. Think, instead, about what you’re hoping to achieve with and through the community that actually cares about what you’re doing. Amber Naslund, brasstackthinking.com
- Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell. Seth Godin, sethgodin.typepad.com
- Blogs are about sharing with authenticity. A good enterprise blog can help you really connect deeply with your customers in a meaningful way because the content is not only relevant but insightful and personal. I think most enterprises miss that point. When you do it right, your customers will walk away not only having learned something new but will also feel much more connected to your brand. David Armano, Logic + Emotion
- Don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t want plastered on a billboard with your face on it. Erin Bury, Community Manager at Sprouter, erinbury.com
- Social Media puts the “public” into PR and the “market” into marketing. Chris Brogan, President of New Marketing Labs, chrisbrogan.com
- LinkedIn is for people you know. Facebook is for people you used to know. Twitter is for people you want to know. Author Unknown – Via socialmediatoday.com & Via Jay Baer, Convince & Convert
- If content is king, then conversion is queen. John Munsell, CEO of Bizzuka
- Those who ignore the party/conversation/network when they are content and decide to drop in when they need the network may not succeed. It’s pretty easy to spot those that are just joining the network purely to take – not to give. Therefore, be part of the party/conversation/network before you need anything from anyone. Jeremiah Owyang, web-strategist.com
- By creating compelling content, you can become a celebrity. Paul Gillin, paulgillin.com
- Word-of-mouth marketing isn’t about giving customers talking points, as if they were brand spokespeople. It’s about delivering an exceptional customer experience that makes customers want to recommend you. Deborah Eastman,”Clearing the Air About Word-of-Mouth”, Article on MarketingProfs.com (August 2008)
- If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell 6 friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends. Jeff Bezos, CEO at amazon.com
- Social Media is like teen sex. Everyone wants to do it. No one actually knows how. When finally done, there is surprise it’s not better. Author Unknown – Tweeted by Avinash Kaushik (February 2009), Analytics Evangelist at Google, kaushik.net
- Human beings are far more likely to communicate ideas and information with others when they are emotionally engaged. Find the key issues that concern your audience and then inculcate them within your marketing plan to get an emotional response. Maki, doshdosh.com
- The problem with trying to determine ROI for Social Media is you are trying to put numeric quantities around human interactions and conversations, which are not quantifiable. Jason Falls, Owner of socialmediaexplorer.com, jasonfalls.com
- Focus on how to be social, not on how to do social. Jay Baer, Convince & Convert
- Social Media is about the people! Not about your business. Provide for the people and the people will provide for you. Matt Goulart, webstarcontent.com
- To utilize Social Media tools effectively and properly, you must absolutely generate spontaneous communications in direct response to what others are saying or to what is happening in that moment. Be yourself. Be conversational. Be engaged. Aliza Sherman, Co-Founder of Conversify, alizasherman.wordpress.com
- Don’t fix the marketing first, fix your product. Once you’ve got a good product to talk about, the marketing’s going to flow from that. Scott Monty, Head of Social Media at Ford Motor, scottmonty.com
- As opposed to trying to attract millions of eyeballs and monetize them with ads, branded social networks are less about profitability and more about creating loyal and engaged customers that will ultimately create revenue in more conventional ways. Adam Ostrow, Editor in Chief at mashable.com
- Social marketing eliminates the middlemen, providing brands the unique opportunity to have a direct relationship with their customers. Bryan Weiner, CEO at Digital Agency 360i
- Most bloggers who rise above the clutter are quite often prolific –they work hard, not just writing content but networking, engaging in Social Media and more. Darren Rowse, problogger.net
- Just be nice, take genuine interest in the people you meet, and keep in touch with people you like. This will create a group of people who are invested in helping you because they know you and appreciate you. Guy Kawasaki, alltop.com
- With Social Media so prevalent we are all extremely visible. Your prospective clients, your peers and your competition can drill as deep as they wish searching, reading and gathering information online about you and posted by you without you ever knowing who’s searching. Depending on what they find, your prospects may choose to do business with you or not. Mari Smith, marismith.com
- Social Media is a powerful communications tool. But it can’t be approached with traditional marketing messages and positioning. In the Social Media world –chest thumping and “me me me” marketing is the fastest way to send your audience packing. Rebel Brown, rebelbrown.com
- You can’t buy attention anymore. Having a huge budget doesn’t mean anything in Social Media…The old paradigm was pay to play. Now you get back what you authentically put in. You’ve got to be willing to play to play. Alex Bogusky, Co-Chairman of CP&B
- Social Media is not just a set of new channels for marketing messages. It’s an opportunity for organizations to align with the marketplace and start delivering on behalf of customers. Valeria Maltoni, conversationagent.com
- ATA – be AUTHENCTIC, be TRANSPARENT, be ALTRUISTIC, and you will find enough success in Social Media to have a satisfying career and experience. Nils Montan, ipally.com
- Don’t worry; skills are cheap, passion is priceless. If you’re passionate about your content and you know it and do it better than anyone else, even with few formal business skills you have the potential to create a million-dollar business. Gary Vaynerchuck, Author of “Crush It”, garyvaynerchuk.com
- Please Repeat: Influence is NOT Popularity! Brian Solis, briansolis.com
- The term Social Media describes tools, websites and software that allows people to connect and share…. Social Media Marketing is all about gaining that Social Media exposure in a tactical way, all why carefully avoiding getting blocked or banned. Chris Garrett, chrisg.com
- Ultimately, brands need to have a role in society. The best way to have a role in society is to understand how people are talking about things in real time. Jean-Philippe Maheu, Chief Digital Officer at Ogilvy
- What’s required is a kind of Social Media sherpa, who can find you the audience you seek, who can reach to them on the platforms where they are already congregating, and who can help promote in tasteful ways that fit the sensitivities of the networks where your audiences are found. Chris Brogan, President of New Marketing Labs, chrisbrogan.com
- Old-school marketers are used to one-way marketing communication and a sales approach that talks at the customer rather than with the customer. That just doesn’t work anymore. Newt Barrett, contentmarketingtoday.com
- Social Media, it turns out, isn’t about aggregating audiences so you can yell at them about the junk you want to sell. Social Media, in fact, is a basic human need, revealed digitally online. We want to be connected, to make a difference, to matter, to be missed. We want to belong, and yes, we want to be led. Seth Godin, sethgodin.typepad.com
- Whether something brings them joy or pain, when people share and engage in communities, they form bonds and relationships with others who acknowledge their situation. Liana Evans, “How to Earn Respect on Social Media”, Article on searchenginewatch.com (October 26, 2009)
- I think it’s safe to say that companies making investments in better connecting with their customers now, will have a distinct advantage over those that are resolved to wait and see with this social web thing. Lee Odden, toprankblog.com
- Networking is not about hunting. It is about farming. It’s about cultivating relationships. Don’t engage in ‘premature solicitation’. You’ll be a better networker if you remember that. Dr. Ivan Misner, Founder & Chairman of BNI
- You can be professional while also ‘keeping it real’ with your customers. By interacting with customers in a less formal way, you’ll build a strong human connection that helps build brand loyalty. David Hauser, Co-Founder of Grasshopper, davidhauser.com
- Social Media can provide a conversational extension to a B2B company’s nurturing programs. Social Media gives us the opportunity to humanize our communications and make our companies more approachable. Ardath Albee, CEO of marketinginteractions.com
- Everyone says Social Media is a unicorn, but maybe it’s just a horse? Jay Baer, Convince & Convert
- Profit in business comes from repeat customers, customers that boast about your project or service, and that bring friends with them. W. Edwards Deming, Statistician, Professor, Author, Lecturer & Consultant
- As the web becomes a more social and porous medium, remember that interaction and community are going to happen with or without your involvement. You can watch the conversation take place, or you can own and guide it. Adam Weinroth, “Making Sense of Social Media”, Article on imediaconnection.com (February 12, 2008)
- Social Media isn’t the end-all-be-all, but it offers marketers unparalleled opportunity to participate in relevant ways. It also provides a launchpad for other marketing tactics. Social Media is not an island. It’s a high-power engine on the larger marketing ship. Matt Dickman, SVP Digital Marketing at Fleishman Hillard, technomarketer.typepad.com
- Social Media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube are changing the way the world does business. I think this is in response to our desire to connect with others. Relationship Marketing is all about connecting with people first as human beings and then as customers later. For a real business relationship to work, both parties must receive value. If only one or neither does, that relationship won’t continue for long. Terry Brock, Marketing Coach & Syndicated Columnist, terrybrock.com
- “Build it, and they will come” only works in the movies. Social Media is a “build it, nurture it, engage them, and they may come and stay.” Seth Godin, sethgodin.typepad.com
- Social Media can be a bit like a bunch of people with megaphones blurting out their messages one-way. People will cover their ears (unsubscribe) and tune that out. Use Social Media to ‘listen’ to and learn more about your audience. Brian J Carroll, CEO of InTouch, startwithalead.com
- The qualities that make Twitter seem inane and half-baked are what makes it so powerful. Jonathan Zittrain, Professor of Law at Harvard & Co-Founder of Berkman Center for Internet & Society
- The common reputation of Twitter is that it’s frivolous, which isn’t the case. If it’s set up right, it’s a rich environment of lots of learning and sharing of important material. It’s not just ‘what I had for breakfast’. Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project
- Humans like to know about the good, the bad, and the ugly side of people, places, and situations, as well as to share this information with others, often as quickly as possible. Lon Safko and David Brake, Authors of “The Social Media Bible”
- In the end, the winner is content. Good content, sharable content, and consumer-driven content will allow us all to have a broader spectrum of information and, for the marketer, an easier way to connect with their base. Aaron Kahlow, CEO & Co-Founder of Online Marketing Connect
- Social Media marketing is about brands acting, well, social. Which means they need to show up to the party with a nice bottle of wine, if that’s what the party calls for. They need to come ready to have a dialog, and add value to the event. John Battelle, Founder & CEO of Federated Media Publishing, battellemedia.com
- Twitter is like a tragically hip New York night club. It is a cool, easy way for companies to engage customers in Social Media. But the experience can be loud and crowded. Bob Warfield, CEO of Helpstream, Principal at SmoothSpan
- All one needs is a computer, a network connection, and a bright spark of initiative and creativity to join the economy. Don Tapscott, dontapscott.com
- If there’s a firestorm erupting via blogs, your customers will expect you to respond via those same blogs, not via a carefully-worded press release 4 days later. Mack Collier, mackcollier.com
- Monitor, engage, and be transparent; these have always been the keys to success in the digital space. Dallas Lawrence, Managing Director of Burson-Marsteller’s Proof Integrated Communications
- We’re still in the process of picking ourselves up off the floor after witnessing firsthand the fact that a 16-year-old YouTuber can deliver us 3 times the traffic in a couple of days that some excellent traditional media coverage has over 5 months. Michael Fox, Co-Founder of Shoes of Prey
- You can’t tiptoe into social media. You have to jump into the pool. People have a natural fear of it. But the scary part is not being there. Your customer is already there. Dave Saunders, madisonmain.com
- We’re living at a time when attention is the new currency. Those who insert themselves into as many channels as possible look set to capture the most value. Pete Cashmore, Founder of mashable.com
- If you’re a brand marketer looking at this as a creative way of just getting that one-time transaction done, you’re not recognizing the power of social media and how consumers are playing in the marketing space. Chris Perry, President of Digital Communications at IPG
- The most successful marketer becomes part of the lives of their followers. They follow back. They wish happy birthday. They handle problems their customers have with products or service. They grow their businesses and brands by involving themselves in their own communities. Marsha Collier, Best Selling Author, Customer Service & Social Media Influencer
- Search is about figuring out what people are looking for when they enter keywords into their favorite search engine. Social media is what people are actually saying to each other; they’re telling us what they’re looking for. We, as marketers, should be able to fit it all together pretty nicely. Norm Elrod, Digital Media Consultant, joblessandless.com
- So far, Twitter is like hanging out in the speakers’ lounge. Meaningless chatter from smart people. Alan Stevens, netcave.org
- How can you squander even one more day not taking advantage of the greatest shifts of our generation? How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable? Seth Godin, sethgodin.typepad.com
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