Seth Godin’s recent post on modern procrastination got me thinking.

Many consumer electronics manufacturers are now using social media like Twitter, Facebook and message boards religiously. Some companies, like Dell and Comcast, do it well. They interact with consumers, solve problems, give advice, and sometimes even catalyze consumers’ paths through the customer service process.

Other companies, and especially many executives, are using social media to give updates on what meeting they’re in, where they are on vacation, or what plane they’re getting on. This is more harmful than helpful: it’s boring, nobody cares, and you’re actually creating  distance between yourself and your consumers. Most consumers in your target market don’t live like you. Stop telling them how great and interesting you have it.

Instead, teach them about your products. Give tips, tricks, techniques, suggestions. Take questions. Give something away. Help people.

Whether on social media or in the real world, orient everything to your customers’ self-interests, not your own.