8 GINORMOUS Misconceptions about Social Media Power Users (Haters Gonna Hate!)

Do you want to become a social media power user?

You could be the person everyone looks to for consistent, quality content every day.

Have you ever wondered how power users keep all the plates spinning at the same time?

Let me tell ya -- it ain't easy.

It takes careful planning and execution consistently on a daily basis.

There are a lot of misconceptions about social media power users.

Since I've sent over 156,000 tweets - I have the inside scoop on this topic.

I thought I'd take this opportunity to separate fact from fiction.

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8 GINORMOUS Misconceptions about Social Media Power Users (Haters Gonna Hate!)

Misconception 1 - Social media power users don't have the same challenges in life. They sit at home all day and play on the computer.

If a power user is successful -- they've mastered the art of making it look easy (@Flipbooks is a great example).

Power users have the same challenges in life as everyone else. They have real jobs and families.

They are constantly checking out new tools to make it all easier.

Tools like Post Planner help -- but still -- effective power users set aside time each week to carefully plan and schedule their content.

Misconception 2 - Power users are not as genuine and sincere as they seem online.

This is a HUGE misconception!

If I could humbly give you any advice -- it would be to take people on social media at face value.

Give people the benefit of the doubt.

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I think most power users would agree that it would take way too much time and effort to pretend to be someone they aren't.

Sure, there will always be posers -- but for the most part -- people are who they seem to be.

Misconception 3 - Power users just sit back and rake in all the money spewing out of their laptops.

This misconception is very funny to me.

I talked to an app developer once who wanted me to send a tweet for him because he thought that would make his app a success.

It doesn't work like that.

Social media can open the door for you to build valuable business contacts and lifelong friends. It can also be a business that makes money.

But these things don't come from just being a power user.

They come from engaging with others and developing loyal social media relationships built on trust.

Being a power user simply gets your foot in the door.

It's up to you to leverage that into something much more valuable than a page full of good content.

Misconception 4 - When social media power users don't thank you for a retweet or share -- it means they're ungrateful.

This was a big debate on Twitter about 5 years ago -- and then it went away for a while.

Now people are talking about it again.

If a power user has a lot of followers -- those followers will likely get annoyed by dozens of "thank you" messages in their stream.

It's just not feasible to thank everyone (although many of us still try).

Back in 2010, @Alyssa_Milano and I talked about this.

She said, "I see all my tweets, and I thank each person in my heart."

I think that is a wonderful way to put positive energy into the world. I do that same thing.

Misconception 5 - Power users only want to engage with other power users.

I can't speak for everyone on this one -- but IMHO -- this is is one of the distinctions between power users and influencers.

If a power user won't engage with all the interesting people online -- then what's the point in putting out all that content?

The people I hang with online engage with everyone.

Misconception 6 - If power users don't reply to your tweet -- it means they're intentionally ignoring you.

Again, I can't speak for every social media power user -- but nobody I know is like this!

It's hard to see all of our notifications sometimes. It's a busy feed of info.

And remember, we are all trying to fit social media into our already busy schedules.

Some days we just can't fit it all in. Most of us do the best we can every day.

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and remember that I forgot to respond to someone -- and I reach for my phone.

Don't assume you are being ignored -- chances are -- that's not what's happening.

Misconception 7 - Power users are just lucky. They don't have to strategize about social media as much as everyone else does.

It takes A LOT of time, dedication and commitment to be a social media power user or an influencer.

IMHO -- it doesn't have a whole lot to do with luck.

That is the beauty of social media -- everyone starts at the same place and builds from there (except celebrities of course).

Half the battle is just showing up (and not giving up on the days when you're ready to delete your accounts).

Misconception 8 - Social media power users don't make online mistakes. They have it all figured out.

This is the furthest thing from the truth!

We are all human -- and we ALL make mistakes.

Don't be afraid to try new things on social media.

Some will work well -- and some will be epic fails.

If you're going to differentiate yourself in the sea of boring social media updates -- you're gonna have to take a few risks.

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Strive for excellence -- not perfection!

Conclusion

There is no question that social media power users have a huge impact on our lives.

They are always there, cranking out exceptional content day after day.

We can always count on them for something relevant or witty to share in our feeds.

If you'd like to become a power user, I recommend using the Post Planner app. It will help you discover, predict and publish the web's best content.

Before you know it, you'll start reaching your social media goals faster than you thought possible!