If I were a color, it would be orange.
I realize that’s an odd thing to say considering this isn’t a Facebook quiz. It all goes back to a leadership survey from college that informed me I had “orange” tendencies. Basically, being orange means I’m outgoing, a little theatrical, competitive, and a natural leader. If you meet me in a large group of people, I’m likely the one at the front organizing the group, explaining an activity, or getting distracted by something funny with other orange people.
I’m telling you all of this because I was utterly shocked the first time I really used Twitter in a group setting. In a world where I naturally pushed towards the front, I found myself ‘following,’ not leading, and it had nothing to do with clicking the “follow” button. It was then I realized being “orange” means nothing in social media world. In social media world, the rules for leadership are quite different.
He who talks loudest isn’t always heard.
If you’re in a group of people and someone raises their voice to explain something, you generally turn and listen to them. In social media, it doesn’t matter how many caps you use (actually, please lay off the caps) or how often you send out a message, people don’t automatically hear you and stop to listen. You have to seek them out. This is why engagement is so important. If you want to be a leader in social media, you have to find ways to draw other people into your conversation.
Charisma doesn’t always translate online.
Some of my favorite people are terribly sarcastic and absolutely hilarious. Unfortunately, that sarcasm isn’t always obvious within social media due to a lack of tone, expressions, and anything to convey emotion other than little faces (:P, :/, 
, >_>… or if you’re my mom… >g>. I still don’t know what that one is.) Be very careful about the kind of humor you use in social media. It can backfire on you, and instead of loyal, engaged followers, you can end up with enraged, offended Twitterers.
No one is effortlessly cool.
There is no Fonzie in social media. You have to work for it. That requires time, patience, a little vulnerability, and the willingness to talk to people.
Shy is no excuse.
Some of the shyest people I know have a huge platform through social media. You may have heard “there’s comfort in strangers.” With social media, you can move past any physical hang-ups or fear of judgment that might hinder you in the real world. Public speaking becomes intimate, yet distanced at the same time. There isn’t any other platform like it.
Don’t feed the troll.
Bullying doesn’t make you feared in social media. It makes you loathed or ignored. Don’t stir up trouble for trouble’s sake. There’s a lot more backlash when you try to metaphorically steal the social media kid’s lunch money.
If this didn’t make sense, I blame the cold medicine.
In a nutshell, don’t enter the world of social media and expect the same reactions as you find in the natural world. This is not The Breakfast Club. Social interaction is key, but it’s a level playing field.