Today I had a chat with the social media omnipresent Mohammed Al-Taee, who recently relocated to Washington D.C. from Iraq via Jordan. I got to know Mohammed through Twitter and he is probably the most diligent user of social media I have ever come across, Walter Akana once described him as a "great conversation catalyst", which I think is very accurate. I wanted to interview him and to find out who the man behind the tweets are, here goes:
What is your personal brand statement?
I use my passion, high energy, and creative thinking in technology and social media to help individuals and businesses exceed their expectations by fearlessly engaging them, sharing knowledge and responsibilities, and inspiring everyone to higher levels of performance.
Tell us about your vision and purpose in life
My vision is of a world where everyone gets the right education, does what he/she is passionate about, and lives in equality without racism or arrogance.
My purpose is to share everything I learn and to collaborate with people to build a supportive community in the hopes that it would help change the world.
Let’s hear about your sporting prowess
I’m a sports fan and was a former: national champion swimmer, national water polo goalkeeper, and Olympic basketball player. My Father was my role model and a big inspiration to be a sport champion; he was a national, Arab and Asian champion in hammer and disk throwing. Now, I’m playing football (soccer) when I have time and and I'm a huge supporter of Manchester United!
What are your interests
About my interest, Malcolm Gladwell says that it takes 10,000 hours to become the best at something or an expert. That’s why reading is one of my biggest interests; I’m continuously reading everywhere I go even in the Dead Sea!
I have 100+ books in my Amazon Wish List, I wish I could read all of them, but after all, I can’t buy time. Oftentimes I read the same book three times in order to fully grasp the information.
Another one of my interests is trying different types of food; I love Iraqi, Turkish and Italian cuisine. I even eat while I’m tweeting!
How important is your online network to you?
My online network is where most of my social networking activities happen. My life, biography and resume will be online and searchable so my online identity will become soon my real identity. It’s important because my online reputation will speak on my behalf when I apply for a job or do business. For me, each connection added to my network is a new opportunity.
What is your favorite social media tool?
Twitter is my dream tool and my biggest social network. I love it because it’s a real time communication tool and lets me connect with new friends, authors, big brands and many others via 140 characters.
On Twitter, I don't automatically follow everyone who follows me; instead, I choose to follow those who make the web rich and informative with insightful, thought-provoking tweets.
What are the social media trends in the Middle East at the moment?
The awareness of social media now is bigger than before. There are still some companies that not realize the importance of these tools to brand the company and get more attention than the traditional Internet ads.
Many companies in the Middle-East prefer to follow than to lead, they just waiting to see how a tool will impact the business and market and then jump! Well, it will be late to do so. Either you take the leap or keep copying others.
What a must-have in a social media strategy?
The great scientist and philosopher Albert Einstein said: “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity”. I believe that we should humanize the web using tech tools.
Success in the future will not be based on one-way communication of one’s message, resume, or brand. Rather, it will be a robust two-way conversation inside communities of shared interest. Successful social media strategy is a result of successful human relationships and conversations.
How do you see the future of social media for business?
Life will be so interesting and transparent. Example; customer service will be excellent as hotels, restaurants, shops etc will have a complete database of clients’ interests and experiences.
Once you book in a hotel, a query based on your online profiles will be created to show the hotel what you like/dislike whether foods, TV channel, room view, magazines or even how many pillows you want on your bed!
Final words of wisdom?
I’m a big fan of quotes. I inspired by many of them; shared and tweet a lot on my social networks; and said my quotes. I even allocated a page for my favorite quotes on my blog.
One of my favourites is by Felix Dennis “Anyone not busy learning is busy dying.”
Mohammed Al-Taee is an information technology professional, social media leader, and next-generation project manager. Please visit Mohammed's blog, connect with him on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @maltaee.