So something interesting happened just now. I was skimming through Google Plus, trying to figure out the value – trying to convince myself that there was more than broadcasting going on. So, let’s see. Cat rave. Cat with hat on. Cats hugging. Cats with hats on hugging and raving. And then a Gary Vaynerchuk video. Huh. Well that’s interesting. The particular person who shared this video previewed it by saying, “Why marketers are destroying social media.” That got me riled up. I was already writing my hate mail to Gary Vee, but I thought I would listen to his argument first.
Now, I didn’t play the video backwards, and maybe that was my mistake, but I didn’t hear the word “marketing” or “marketers” at all.
There is something deliciously ironic about this. It’s that kind of irony that you just long for in life – not the kind of irony that Alanis Morisette sang about in the 90s. Because, see, one of the things Gary Vee *does* talk about is that a lot of people in the online world are tweeting stuff out cuz they want to sound important or smart (or both). They’re not really paying attention to what they are saying or retweeting. They just want to get attention, and they end up looking like idiots (except picture this in not-safe-for-work Gary Vee language). So here we have this person saying, “Oh, listen to Gary Vee talk about how marketers are ruining social media,” and really, the kind of shenanigans the sharer is up to – that’s what the speech is really about. Kind of a V8 moment, right? Bonk on the head!
But really, are you co-signing on crap?
When you are trying to get an apartment as a young, totally broke college student, most places require you to have a co-signer. When my parents co-signed for me, they made it pretty clear that while they would be my support net, they didn’t want to serve that purpose because I chose to live irresponsibly. Their signatures meant that they really believed I was responsible. They were willing to put their money where their mouths and hearts were.
If you retweet something or promote something, you are co-signing on that. You’re saying, “Yep, I think this is so great I want it to also be affiliated with me.” So, for example, if you choose to share a video that a pretty big name in the online world did, that video may be associated with you as other people share your share. However, if you opt to do a false preview or promo of that content, that’s also a co-signing. And it makes you look like you didn’t pay attention, didn’t read or listen, or just didn’t get it.
By the way
There’s a lot of stuff in the speech Gary gave in this video that I disagree with strongly. I don’t agree with the “throw the spaghetti against the wall” mentality, and I don’t really believe in the “failure is good for you” mentality. Not all of us have enough expendable income to try things until something works. Just facin’ facts here. I might not even have made mention of this video because there’s so much I disagree with. But the fact that one of the strongest points – don’t co-sign crap, was completely contrasted with how the video was previewed – well, that was just too delicious to pass up. Like that yummy, rich, homemade fudge. Mm mm.
Read what you retweet. Check out that post before you promote it. Do a little research before writing a post for or against a person. Don’t be a co-signer on crap. It just makes you look (wait for it)…poopy. And unaware.
Right?
Image by barun patro. http://www.sxc.hu/profile/barunpatro