You’re so vain
I bet you think this post is about you, don’t you…
Are you hearing Carly Simon in your head now? Good. That’s the effect I wanted, although I’ll probably regret it later [when you want to kill me because you can't get the song out of said head]. Maybe I am just taking a note from my friend Narciso Tovar over at Method + Moxie, he always equates his posts to music and a serious point.
I have been mulling this over for a few weeks now and I think it’s just something that has to be said. My blog posts are not about you. Let me clarify, they are about us as collective marketers and the marketing industry…but they aren’t about any one person, company, or situation in particular.
As marketers we have a lot of experiences and interactions with different industries, bosses, co-workers, agencies, customers, etc. and each leaves a lasting impression, especially for analytic types.
Now, think of all those experiences from the point of view of a marketer that also blogs. We look for trends (people are getting bored with Twitter…), we see trends recycling (just like flair bottom jeans & clogs), we learn about and analyze what’s effective and ineffective (Motrin, anyone?), we look for what’s new (oh, hello latest new social tool!), etc., etc., etc.
And, of course, marketers who blog are usually also very socially connected. That means we use Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, forums, etc. We go to offline association meetings (like the PRSA, AMA, IABC, SMC, etc.). And we read…a lot! Especially other blogs with viewpoints other than our own, books and magazines.
All of these additional experiences, social interactions, conversations, debates, and reading often spark an idea or thought that leads to an entire post for a marketing blogger.
The next time you read a post and vanity rears its ugly head, Nikki Massaro Kauffman at .eduGuru suggests you ask yourself three questions before you comment:
- Is this post even about me/us?
- Is there any truth to this post?
- Is this post completely untrue?
Essentially ask yourself is the blogger holding a “mirror up to nature?”
For most marketing bloggers, the answer is a resounding “YES!” We are holding up a mirror to our experiences, the profession, and more. If we didn’t, we’d be quite boring!
So the next time you’re reading a post and the thought crosses your mind that it could be about you or your company, think twice, maybe even three times, because most likely it’s not. Marketers, especially those who are passionate about being marketers (you know they type, they eat, sleep, drink, tweet, blog marketing 24/7) are, for the most part, blogging to be reflective, thoughtful, analytic and well, marketers…
Now you can scold me for Carly Simon bouncing around in your head.
[Hat tip to Rachel Reuben for leading me to Nikki's post. Thanks Rachel!]
[Image: iStock]
Even More Goodness! Related Posts:
Tags: Blogging, Marketing, Social Media
11 Responses to “You’re so vain”
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I think this is about Mick Jagger, no wait.. Warren Beatty…. right?
Right on Beth, as always … you seem to hit the nail on the head. Sometimes people have such tunnel vision… especially marketers not tuned into the changes in marketing, they take offense to posts like yours which make people think.
Why should they change their ways? Why should they listen to their customers? Why oh why are you questioning these things Beth … LOL!
Thanks for never settling, and always asking the questions!
Li Evans’s last blog post..Online Marketing Tips Video: Being Social in Social Media
Dude, Carley Simon rocks!
Rene Guerrero’s last blog post..Life At the Shooting Range: Memoires from the Target
Well said Beth. I’ve been thinking about something similar lately as well. Kind of touching on it on a post I have set to go up tomorrow.
We, as bloggers, share our own experiences that can only write about what we know. A lot of readers attempt to make every piece of seemingly valuable information something that is applicable to them. Just because it sounds good doesn’t mean it is good (for you).
Which in the end, makes everything a lot harder for everyone because bloggers fail to appeal to a wider audience and readers don’t know what’s aimed at them and what’s applicable to their situations…so I’m going to stop talking about it.
Dave
David Spinks’s last blog post..Switch to Seesmic Desktop…Now.
Thanks, Beth. I just had to read this before going to sleep?? Now I’ll be dreaming of you and Carly. I’ll let you know in the morning how it goes.
Ari Herzog’s last blog post..From a Galaxy Far, Far Away, Star Wars Embraces Social Media
[...] This post was Twitted by lisa_valentine – Real-url.org [...]
Beth, Very good points to remember. Since many people believe that society has taken on the “it’s all about me” mentality, I’m glad someone has stood up and said “not!”. And it’s a key point for companies as a whole to remember. Being vain or getting paranoid is not smart.
Susan’s last blog post..Using Twitter as an internal communication tool
“You like ME! You really like ME!” (can you see me clutching my Oscar?)
Holding up the digital mirror is a good test of character and experience about the blogger (author) you are reading. If they aren’t holding up the mirror, question credibility and capability.
Lauren Vargas’s last blog post..Never Eat Alone – My Boston Challenge
Things I think that are funny: This post was written for those of us who think that the Carly Simon song is about us.
Anyways, damn good points. I think we as marketers have the tendency to try and boil down concepts until they are applicable to ourselves and our clients. We don’t even notice that we do this half the time either. It just sort of flows naturally. Liked this post a lot Beth. Calling me on my b.s. as usual.
Stuart Foster’s last blog post..Your Idea Sucks
To have someone like yourself taking notes from me is a compliment indeed! Especially with a song from the wonderful Carly Simon!
In regards to this GREAT post, it’s an awesome thing whenever someone of influence (like yourself) can remind folks that the world does NOT revolve around your thoughts, insights and/or blog.
At best, we can influence and share – not only of ourselves, but from our experiences.
Narciso Tovar, Big Noise Communications’s last blog post..Commitment To More Cowbell
You are right about this. Sort of like networking and trying to find a job. It isn’t about YOU it is about what the company needs and how they can make money by having you around.
Jamie Favreau’s last blog post..Blogger relations and how it works for your job search
@LiEvans, Warren Beatty.
@ReneGuerrero, I aim to please…
@DavidSpinks, I think you just pointed out another difference between journalists and bloggers. I do think that some bloggers have the ability to appeal to wider audiences though…depends on the topic.
@Susan, sometimes pausing is the best strategy.
@LaurenVargas, “If they aren’t holding up the mirror, question credibility and capability.” No comment…just wanted to repeat your brilliance twice.
@StuarFoster, how’d you know this was about you?
(No, really, it’s about Warren Beatty)
@NarcisoTovar, anytime my friend!
@JamieFavreau, hmmm, should it be about both the employee and the employer?