What LeBron James Can Teach You about Social Media - Reaction

I came across an article titled, “What LeBron James Can Teach You About Social Media.” Below are the 5 key points Albert Qian, author of the blog Albert Qian: The Social Media Dude, says James has taught us all about social media.

1) It's all about execution: LeBron James showed that he is a fierce power to be reckoned with, and has done so all throughout his career. He’s best known for the playoff game versus the Detroit Pistons where he scored his team’s last 25 points on his way to leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a victory. That said, in this series, he and the rest of the team did not execute down the stretch and blew some key leads. In social media, you too can have a Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James, but if your superstars fail to execute, you too are doomed for failure despite a good back bone.

2) Disappearing acts are no good: LeBron James failed to show up in the fourth quarter of these NBA finals, plain and simple. For that fact, James has shown that he doesn’t show up in many clutch games, from last year’s Celtics series as well. In social media, you cannot disappear from your customers and your community and expect to win. Disappearing diminishes your influence and shows that you simply may not have your customers or social media as a very high priority.

3) There are no shortcuts: Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert tweeted after the game that in this sport, there are no shortcuts. You cannot simply just leave and build a team of superstars and expect to win. You must plan and execute faithfully in order to do well in basketball, as well as social media.

4) Offense wins games, defense wins titles but leadership wins hearts: Social media is a great balance of the 3 - offense, defense and leadership/special teams. You can do well sometimes with one or two, but if you’re going to win at what you do and your industry, you must do well at all 3. LeBron James over the years has checked out in the middle of games, only to cost his team. Don’t check out on your social media strategy - it will cost you dearly as well.

5) Keep it Classy: Social media requires class to succeed. You must always keep it professional and keep it worthy of your engagement and interaction. Not doing so will cost you customers as well as alienate fans, much in the way LeBron James did last summer in his famed “The Decision” special.

First of all, this is a really interesting topic and I applauded Qian for the provocative perspective. My favorite points are #2 and #5. Regarding point 2, in business especially, we forget that social media needs care and attention. Setting up a Facebook page or chat room will not be a silver bullet for engaging customers; it takes real effort and commitment.

Point #5 cannot be overstated. Once something is put out there on a site or in a Tweet, it is there forever. The age-old advice of never putting something in print that you would not want on the front page of the Wall Street Journal could not be more applicable in social media. The seemingly casual tone of social media does not mean it is ok to post careless or sloppy. The setting may be informal but the information distributed should be reviewed and posted with the ultimate care. Ref. albertquin.com, nba-all-star-pix