When it comes to social media, I’m so deep in, sometimes it’s hard to stop and think, are they getting what I’m saying? The reality struck me yesterday sitting in an Internet team meeting with a web developer. I was totally cruising along with the whole “single sign on” conversation until he started waxing philosophical about the nature of (insert technical networking term I can’t recall because it was so over my head here), I thought, is this really Greek, or do I just need a degree to understand the sentences coming out of this guy’s mouth?
The Paradox of Jargon
Of course, in the world of writing, we call this stuff jargon. The stuff we say that has very important meaning, but only in a certain context or group or niche, etc. We’re taught to avoid it when writing to the general public. Boil things down in terms that make sense.
But here’s the interesting thing about jargon: it serves a function. It is a visible or audible metric of social capital within certain niches.
Test this sometime, and you’ll see what I mean. Sit down at a table of people and start talking about something, say, a web trend or tool that you’re familiar with. Try it out. Better yet, use the jargon of the trend or tool – jargon about jargon.
“So, I saw that Seth tweeted about Triiibes again the other day.”
What will happen is, you will wait to see what other people do. Does anyone know I’m talking about Seth Godin? That I’m referring to Twitter? Or a new trendy, exclusive social network?
This is a fun game, and hey, it can be useful in identifying interesting people you’d like to talk with. Or follow on Twitter. Or even learn from.
But I see this and hear it happening more and more. And sometimes, I can’t help but wonder, what do we sound like to the other people in the restaurant. Or at the table. Or on the team. Or at the meeting. The ones who don’t know the jargon. Who aren’t in the “club”?
The Real Problem with Jargon
Why do we do this anyway? Is it that we’re so tied up in our jargon that we just can’t separate terms from functionality or meaning or value? When I see conversations like this one, I have to wonder if really, it’s that we’re not always sure exactly what the terms or tools really mean. Or maybe it’s that we don’t always know how to say simply how they’re useful. Or maybe, we’ve gotten so wrapped up in tools and trends and that we just forgot to stop asking.
So here’s what I want to ask you: are your conversations about social media full of jargon or full of meaning? And how important is the balance between the two?
Here’s where the rubber meets the road on this for me, in my job, in my field, in my industry: defining why social media is important in public relations. The tools, the tactics, the blogging, the tweeting, the messaging, really, it all boils down to one simple thing.
It’s putting the “relationships” back in public relations. It’s as simple as that.
Now, here’s why this little exercise is important. Not just so you can describe to your boss or your mom or your client why social media matters, what it really means. Although, maybe you should (then again, sometimes, maybe you shouldn’t). But more importantly, most importantly, so you can remember it yourself. And focus on those efforts and tools and relationships that are really helping you achieve that one, simple, boiled down thing.
Because here’s the interesting thing. Social media means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. That’s part of the beauty of it. It’s flexible and broad-reaching and powerful. But everyone else’s definition is not and should not be yours. So, if you’re going to spend the time investing in the tools, learning the jargon, and becoming a VIP member of the club, make sure you take the time in the process to remember what it all means to you.
Ok. Your turn. Go.
Interested in more conversations like this? Subscribe to Personal PR, and get free updates.
I just did this last night! I was out with my girlfriends who know nothing about the blogging world and was telling them how I joined Twitter. “What’s Twitter?” they wanted to know. I told them it was a mini-blog site for status updates. They seemed to get it…
It feels great, doesn’t it, when people do get it. Interesting how now that I’ve been blogging for a while, random people in my real life will bring it up to me, in the funniest of ways. “So, did you ever decide what you’re doing about your last name?” And I think, when did I talk with them about that? And then it hits me, they read my blog. So a few seconds later, I can respond. But it’s an interesting thing, isn’t it?
I put out a monthly e-mail via constant contact called The Eleven (it comes out on the eleventh). It goes to 1835 of my closest friends and contacts and I usually hear back from a couple people that they did the political action I suggested, or liked a book I recommended. And then there are people who see me at a party and remind me of something I wrote possibly months ago, or ask me how the sunflower project is going, and I’m often taken aback and wonder – how did they know, how do they remember, did we talk about this? there’s some way that putting your info out there can create bigger ripples than we all imagine. I like that, but also wonder about it.
@ Albert – Interesting example, thanks for sharing!
I’ve been using some highly complex jargon in my new role as a pre-linguistic interpreter for the post-womb population. My research has informed me that “oooh” and “eiii” are not babble as some laymen previously suppossed. In fact, it turns out to be an ancient dialect spoken by the inhabitants of the lost city of Atlantis.
Who knew?
@ Summer – I miss you, so! From the sounds of it, you’re becoming an expert in this new career track in no time flat, though. 😉 You and your research. Primary, this time.
what interesting stories , thanks for sharing with them 😉
As a student in a social media class this quarter, I can definitely relate to the said social media “jargon” that tends to cloud our minds. While some of the trends we’re learning in this class are new to me and some are not, I can see a whole new meaning taking over in our class discussions. Instead of speaking as we did the first week of class, we’re speaking in more technical terms about topics I never thought we’d discuss.
But what has changed? Aren’t we still the eager students hungry for knowledge? Of course we are. Now we’re just “in the club” as you describe it. Thanks for writing this post and reminding me what social media really means.
Nice posting dude, but I still newbie till now and need more knowledge to explore this posting, but I’m apprreciaate your nice article.