So, it’s been a while since I have blogged and some time since I have tweeted and I have enjoyed every minute of it and now, my hiatus is over and indeed, many things I have learn’t.

For the last 3 months the only tweets I have sent have been on behalf of businesses and brands whose social media accounts I manage. All personal social media engagement has been on ‘pause’. This social media hiatus was actually inspired by a friend of mine who took 6 months of social media and I felt that it was time to do the same.

In all honesty no tweeting and no blogging has been extremely challenging. As an individual who works in social media, if you stop tweeting and blogging you have this sudden fear that work will dry up and your position in the social media hierarchy will start to slip. Surely, someone who is passionate about social media should be tweeting 24/7 right? – Tweeting what they are watching, uploading Instagram pictures of beautiful sunsets and being seen to be in the social media ‘know’ and ‘on trend’.

Now, let me tell you something. I absolutely love social media, I love it’s power and potential. I love the way that customers have the power to engage, empower  and own brands rather than simply buy their products. However, there is also a lot of cr*p out there. I have been to numerous networking events where the majority of people in the room are ‘social media experts’ and when probed further their own definition of a ‘social media expert’ is an individual who sets up Twitter accounts and Facebook pages.  The majority of people in the social media world are doing a lot of rubbish, but, thank God, there are a small few who are creating something powerful in the socialsphere.

During the last 3 months I have spent a lot of time watching, learning, seeing what others are doing, seeing what is working and what is not working. And, there is so much to learn. Over the coming months I will share, via this blog, exactly what I have learn’t.

Now, to answer the question on your lips – no I am not arrogant enough to state that I am a social media expert. During my ‘time off’, I have been a social media student and I will continue to be. The biggest thing that I have learn’t is that social media is fluid, it changes, twists and turns. One brand can produce a viral master piece which another company may have previously tried and failed.

Social Media is like a wild beast. As soon as we think we have learn’t to tame the beast it run’s furiously into a different direction and we are left trying to keep up.

If you have some social media wisdom, please feel free to contact me. I am absolutely loving learning about all things social media right now.