Why Are (Some) Social Media Marketers So Anti-Social Media?
Walk the talk. Or why talk at all?
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Why Are Social Media Marketers So Anti-Social Media?
Social media marketers can be a paradox. Proselyting the benefits, possibilities, and excitement about social media during the day and then not using it themselves at night. Or even further, restricting their circles of influence (e.g., their children) from social media entirely when it’s paying the bills for the roof overhead and food on the table.
And one can understand why. These experts spend extensive hours navigating, analyzing, and leveraging social media platforms for branding and engagement purposes, which often leads them to a deeper understanding of the platforms' limitations and negative aspects. Their exposure to the algorithms' manipulations, the pressure to constantly produce engaging content, and witnessing the often unrealistic standards set by social media can foster a sense of disillusionment.
Additionally, social media marketers are acutely aware of mental health impacts and the addictive nature of these platforms, both for themselves and their audiences. This constant immersion in a digital world that emphasizes perfection, instant gratification, and continuous engagement can be mentally exhausting, leading to a critical view of social media.
Is this POV hypocritical?
The duality in a social media professional’s role versus their perspective on social media in-practice is what often drives social media marketers to adopt a seemingly anti-social media stance, advocating for a more balanced and mindful approach to its usage.
And yeah, it’s hypocritical. The best role mode of this is Steve Jobs:
“We don't allow the iPad in the home. We think it's too dangerous for them in effect.” - Steve Jobs, whose company invented and marketed the iPad, in the The New York Times in 2011.
So that leaves us with a challenge — if you know social media can be harmful, do you spend your energy decrying your livelihood OR do you spend your energy trying to do good, set an example, and change the industry?
I think you know where Greg would fall. But it may surprise you that Greg originally didn’t want his kids using iPads or social media, too.
That was a journey Jenny and Greg took as they entered parenthood and saw more opportunity to help teach their kids how to use these mediums in a sheltered way with oversight for lower risk failures while still at home versus shielding them from technology and social media in a way that when they go into the world they wouldn’t have the skills and exposure to know how to act.
The result of that approach hasn’t been perfect. But it has allowed our kids to experiment with the very best aspects of social media while having a safe(r) space to experience and process some of its more negative impacts.
How do you affect the social media industry from the inside?
You start by not acting like you’re at its mercy. In the podcast episode, Jenny explains that non-social media marketers (aka “normals”) are counting on social media marketers to help affect the industry and make changes for the better. By constantly pointing out negatives versus helping elevate the good and correct the negatives, nobody is moving the ball forward.
In 2020, there was a documentary called The Social Dilemma that centered on the social and cultural impact of social media usage on regular users. It was really well produced! And is worth a watch. And created a ton of buzz — including from social media marketers. But it was missing something — action items for consumers and marketers to do anything about it. It had a pretty helpless theme.
In 2022, Greg had an opportunity to ask technology ethicist Tristan Harris a questions about The Social Dilemma. He asked what brands (and those in social media marketing who operate within the social dilemma) should do to change their work with an eye toward humane tech. Moving from helpless to action.
The answer, “You don’t have another place to go.” Tristan explain that there aren’t alternatives to social media and it won’t slow down, which Greg interprets as a mandate to make change while you’re there. Watch here:
Creators feel conflicted, too
Of note, it’s not just social media marketers who struggle with this paradox. Creators who make a living through content in social media also are contending with the huge benefits — reach, income, fame, culture, connections — from creating and sharing on social media and also the impact of participating in an industry that is fraught with challenges — addiction, discrimination, sexism, and more.
Watch Karen Cheng spark a huge round of applause at Adobe MAX last month talking about how creators don’t have to be subject to the algorithm and platform limitations and instead should stand up for an increased standard: “Change matters when we demand better.”
Walk the talk.
So how can social media marketers affect social media from the inside?
Get your hands dirty: lean into the next big thing. Test it. Explore. Find the good and expose the bad. Be practical, but don’t be afraid to be optimistic. If you don’t actually know the platforms and tools, you won’t know where the gems are or how to navigate the controls.
Hold platforms accountable: use your media spend, brand influence, and channel prioritization as power. Talk to your reps and give them feedback. If you don’t have reps, join advisory boards, associations or third parties who can establish their own standards and/or gain the ear of the platforms.
Seek out best practices, and then elevate your own: protect user data, don’t use social’s amazing targeting tools to be creepy, always disclose endorsements, create easy ways to opt-out, and seek to share transparency above all.
Don’t do black hat, shortcut, nasty social stuff: Astroturfing (faking grassroots behavior) by leaving comments on your own content, creating sock puppet accounts, paying influencers under the table or without disclosure, fudging reports, turning a blind eye to gross behavior, or generally things you wouldn’t want found out or included in a case study.
Create your own accountability: form a mini-network of your own professional circle and share key insights, takeaways, and agreements for how to show up and use these platforms for their best potential.
Set the standard for how people should treat each other on social media: being rude, discouraging discussion, of falling prey to “whataboutism” creates a vacuum at best and at worst, an auroboros (a snake that eats its own tail). Instead, think big. Think positive. Think forward. Be an actual leader. What’s the point of having a voice and a platform if you can’t use it for good?
Mr. Rogers famously said “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping,’” and we think Mr. Rogers would have loved a lot about social media and REALLY loved people who are helping others navigate, translate, and build the future.
Maybe that’s a future episode. What do you think? We would love to hear from you. Leave a comment. Send us an email (emailthecaveproject@gmail.com).
See you in the future!
Jenny & Greg Swan
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