How to overcome your tendency to dilute your message by jumping on every "next big thing" social media platform... and what you can do right now in 12 steps to get back on track.

1. SOCIAL MEDIA
SCHIZOPHRENIA
A 12-STEP
RECOVERY PROGRAM
BY
By Nick Armstrong -- WTFMarketing.com -- @WTFMarketing

2. WHO AM I?
DESPITE A COMPLETE AND
UTTER LACK OF MYSTICAL
ABILITIES, I WAS ONCE
KNOWN AS A...
... SOCIAL MEDIA GURU.

3. SOCIAL MEDIA SCHIZOPHRENIA
LEADS QUICKLY TO BURNOUT.

4. I’M HERE TO HELP
DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR
FIRST SCREENNAME?
HTTP://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/JULIAPATRICIAROY/3523389278/SIZES/Z/IN/PHOTOSTREAM/

5. STEP #1: BEG FORGIVENESS
YOU’VE ANGERED THE
TECH GODS.
HUG A GEEK.
HTTP://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/RICHEVENHOUSE/2542889550/SIZES/M/IN/PHOTOSTREAM/

6. STEP 2: CREATE A STRATEGY
Social Networks
23%
“Other”
34%
HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU
ACTUALLY NEED?
WHAT’S YOUR GOAL?
Games
HOW DO YOU MEASURE IT?
10%
Entertainment
13% Email
Search IM Portals 8%
3% 4% 4%

7. STEP 3: REDUCE ACCOUNTS
HOW MANY ACCOUNTS DO
YOU ACTUALLY HAVE?
THE MOST I’VE HAD: 26
(BEFORE I LOST COUNT)
ARE ANY REDUNDANT?
DO THEY ALL WORK
TOWARDS YOUR GOAL?
WORSE: CAN YOU BE YOU
ON ALL OF THEM?
HTTP://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/TO-STEVE/168874939/SIZES/Z/IN/PHOTOSTREAM/

8. STEP 4: POST UPDATES
EFFICIENTLY
WHAT TOOLS ARE YOU
USING?
HINT: A BROWSER JUST
ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH.
HTTP://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/LAURAJO/4568372067/SIZES/O/IN/PHOTOSTREAM/

9. MORE COFFEE = MORE EFFICIENCY
SWEET, SWEET EFFICIENCY.

10. STEP 5: USE AGGREGATORS
ONE SOURCE
ONE POST
LOTS OF REACH
HTTP://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/PLACBO/2826724783/SIZES/Z/IN/PHOTOSTREAM/

11. JUST CLEAN YOUR SCREEN...

12. STEP 6: HIRE HELP
BRUCE WAYNE HAS
ALFRED.
ELLEN HAS THE INTERNS.
WHY CAN’T YOU GET SOME
HELP TOO?
HTTP://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/TROJANGUY/2933224898/SIZES/Z/IN/PHOTOSTREAM/

13. JUST TRAIN THEM FIRST...
(AND FOR GOD’S SAKE DON’T JUST USE YOUR NEPHEW)

14. STEP 7: USE BETTER TOOLS
USE THE RIGHT TOOL FOR
THE RIGHT JOB.
ANY TOOL CAN BE
DANGEROUS IF USED
IMPROPERLY.
UNDERSTAND YOUR
AUDIENCE, WHERE THEY
HANG OUT, AND WHEN...
HTTP://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/44534236@N00/2877671422/SIZES/Z/IN/PHOTOSTREAM/

15. SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.MEDIABISTRO.COM/ALLTWITTER/SOCIAL-MEDIA-USER-DEMOGRAPHICS_B38095

16. STEP 8: LIMIT EXPOSURE
WHAT IS YOUR TIME
WORTH?
HOW MUCH HAVE YOU
WASTED SO FAR?
HOW MUCH MORE ARE
YOU WILLING TO WASTE?
HTTP://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/NICMCPHEE/455279239/SIZES/Z/IN/PHOTOSTREAM/

17. STEP 9: CREATE REPORTS + GOALS
WITHOUT KNOWING
WHERE YOU’RE GOING,
YOU’LL JUST BE SPINNING
YOUR WHEELS.
CREATE AN EASY WAY TO
FIND OUT IF YOU’RE
WINNING.
HTTP://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/30911243@N00/2515717499/

18. STEP 10: MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS
USE YOUR REPORTS.
REALLOCATE YOUR TIME.
ACTION TRUMPS
PLANNING.
HTTP://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/DARRENHESTER/3989949630/SIZES/Z/IN/PHOTOSTREAM/

19. WTF MARKETING HIT 500
WE WERE “ARBITRARILY POPULAR”

20. STEP 11: KNOW YOUR LIMITS
LIMIT IS NOT A DIRTY
WORD.
LIMITS CREATE
SCARCITY AND
OPPORTUNITY.
HTTP://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/ALEJANDRO_DAGNINO/2612315752/SIZES/Z/IN/PHOTOSTREAM/

21. STEP 12: SHARE WHAT YOU KNOW
IF YOUR FRIENDS AREN’T
UP TO SPEED, YOU’RE THE
ONLY ONE WHO CAN HELP.
HTTP://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/8889096@N05/4328088895/SIZES/Z/IN/PHOTOSTREAM/

22. ONE LAST THING...

23. NOBODY WINS IF YOU STOP CREATING

24. THANK YOU
FIND ME AT:
WTFMARKETING.COM
BY
By Nick Armstrong -- WTFMarketing.com -- @WTFMarketing