One of the biggest naysaying comments we receive from clients about publishing their work online or even engaging in online conversations is: what’s the point if I will only add to the noise?
The definition of “noise” here is not derogatory. It’s all about context and purpose. The “noise” is a mix of people taking action, junk, groundbreaking ideas, cultural phenoms, personal brand blogs, blogs for the sake of blogging, hobbies, news sites and more. Like anything, the online world is full of great stuff and its full of crap. For many C-levels and professionals in the B2B space, the environment is still off-putting because they do not see any peers engaging online or they cannot see the value of investing time and energy into something that is completely foreign to their world.
MediaPost says it best with their recent article title: “The Blogger Generation Still Dominates Blogging.” They cite stats from Sysomos.com which show that nearly 75% of the bloggers are age 35 and younger. The stats do not dig deeper than surface demographics (geography, gender, etc.) but it is telling that many from today’s primary age group of online publishers are those who started it in the first place nearly a decade ago. For this group, blogging is a natural extension of who they are and what they do. For others who have a critical eye on the web, shifting into this space can seem like a compromise instead of progress.
Keep in mind that I’m not talking about the marketing ROI of investing in online publishing. I can cite examples that include our own and others that answer the question of why to start an online publishing program. I am much more interested in helping clients understand that they can have an impact on the world through the online space. I actually believe that by not sharing your thinking and experiences with the world you are doing yourself and all of us a great disservice.
But, can publishing online for all to see and share have an impact on how we think about our world? Before we can make real changes in this world — from business to the environment and politics to raising our kids — we need new ways of thinking about it. That’s where you all come in.
I believe that if we let the “oh it’s just a bunch of noise so why bother?” retort win, we remain spectators. By sitting on the sidelines as armchair quarterbacks, we don’t allow ourselves to jump into the action and change the game. Stop complaining about all the noise out there, that there are few compelling discussions online, and do something about it. The difference between being a real armchair quarterback watching the Super Bowl, and a spectator in the online world is that skills and tools we need to play in the online game are attainable. We can all make the online community worthwhile if we’re committed to the bigger question of how to make things happen (business, culture, political, whatever lights a fire in your belly). It’s not up to the “noise” to convince us to join in, it’s up to us to take these new opportunities and tools (yes, they’re still very new) and create something better.
So, that being said, along comes Double Rainbow Guy. If you haven’t seen the YouTube vid, go watch it and come back. I’ll wait. I’m actually more partial to the Kermit the Frog and Double Rainbow Guy duo. Again, I’ll wait.
This video, like so many other viral videos, has launched a complete unknown into becoming news media’s poster boy of the week. Jimmy Kimmel Tweeted the video just shortly after July 4th weekend, and suddenly the YouTube hits jumped from thousands to millions within under a week. Each day at lunch, the Fathom crew would check the jump and it was amazing to see it jettison into the spotlight each day.
Double Rainbow Guy allows people in game changing organizations to say, “See! The web is full of the inconsequential, the random and the ridiculous. Why would I spend any time there?”
Because that’s not a good excuse. If you have an idea that can change something in the world and the infrastructure of the web has the potential to connect you with that world, are you going to let other people stop you? If the online world belongs to all of us, and it truly does for those with accessibility, than why are we not all taking charge of its destiny? We are at a critical shift in the web’s development — from the content to the tools — but it’s going to take more brains on the job to take it to the next level of use and importance.
I’m not asking you to try and emulate Double Rainbow Guy by jumping on the viral-for-viral sake train and become a one-hit wonder that gets some media coverage this week but then next week drops into oblivion. If you want to have a real impact on how we think and the decisions we make, be prepared for the long ride. Be prepared to have a high volume of impact with a smaller audience. Be prepared to learn and change yourself, along with helping others to learn and change.
And I’m also not interested in exploring why videos like Double Rainbow Guy or events go viral, or trying to figure out how we can make this happen for our clients. As Fast Company points out, this story is yet another example of just how unpredictable it is to gauge popularity and influence. Even more unpredictable is the impact you can make and who will become your evangelists. But, that’s the unpredictable part we explore and want our clients to learn to love.
To take this work on, you need contradiction: stay true to you and let the outside world change you. Once you can achieve that balance, we can figure out how to find your fans and make things happen — both online and beyond. When we brainstorm, pick apart, build, deconstruct, rejigger, add, streamline or reinvent a strategic approach for a client’s online presence and engagement, like we have with architect and game changer Pete Larson, we hit the reset button each time we take a new step. With someone like Pete, we spend hours behind the curtain on the holistic strategy. This includes what you see online plus research, ongoing discussion, trouble shooting, entertaining fresh points of view and much more.
Pete and our other clients won’t be appearing on Jimmy Kimmel and their work is not going to be consumed by the masses, and that’s perfectly fine. This doesn’t lessen the impact of their work. The two do not belong in the same conversation. Double Rainbow Guy is consumable and sharable with everyone you know, and allows us to relate to something on the same plane. People like Pete Larson and others who have big, challenging ideas require us to have willingness, time and the commitment to think differently.
If you are in the marketing/brand/creative world, when a client says to you, “what’s the point of starting a blog?”, explore the answer together. I’m much more inclined to say to a client,”What are you trying to do with what you have to say?” and then figuring out which tool to employ, be it an online publishing project or anything else.
Having an opinion is great. Wanting to change the world is even better. Giving people the opportunity to help you do it is imperative if we are to take this very embryonic world we have birthed and help it gather strength, integrity and purpose.
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Posted by:
Suzi Craig
Email the author:
suzi@fathom.net
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Great insights, Suzi! Sometimes it’s tough to figure out the best way to contribute to the conversation — but trying to force something to “go viral” is a recipe for failure. It’s better to just be honest and authentic, and to share what you know.
I just watched the follow-up video of the guys who found the Double Rainbow Guy and interviewed him. I was so moved (okay, blubbering) over how much joy he has, with obviously so little “material” wealth. That is far from noise — it’s a great story!
Suzi,
Great post.
But what does it meeee-aaan?
This is a fantastic example of the power of authenticity, in today’s world of hollow offers and false claims, authenticity rings true.
People are desperate for it. They can’t get enough of it. It almost seems to good to be true, but it sure seems like the more real and true to themselves organizations (or people for that matter) are, the more successful they will be, and happier too…
I’m starting to think that rainbow guy is onto something…
Great article, Suzi. Good food for thought for 35+ curmudgeons like me.
I agree with your spirit in making online conversations what we need them to be (meaningful). That spirit aligns with so much else that we see going on in the world around us; a growing collective realization that we have to find methods to change mechanisms that we once thought were unchangeable. Although the web is changing all the time, I think we still see it as this thing with its own inertia, and feel too small to make it what it needs to be.
It’s a giant shift for those of the older generations to invest the time in this form of communication. Our good old business world is used to directly correlating action to result. Engagement in the correct online conversations can be more indirect and long-term.
Sorting through the noise is daunting…we need to each use our own compass to not be overwhelmed, but to see where the meaningful thinking/conversations are and then to be willing to invest the time in them. This is particularly hard…There is so much out there!
Pete: You are spot on in calling it “this thing with its own inertia.”
Not to overgeneralize but it does seem like the younger set owns the web because they see a purpose in that ownership, just like they see a purpose in getting a degree or buying an iPhone. In talking about feeling too small to make change, do we think the online world belongs to those who are already immersed in its language and culture? If that’s the case, are we battling more than the technology barrier, and also slipping into a Jets v. Sharks atmosphere?
Or, is it simply that we cannot visualize tomorrow’s manifestation from today’s current potential? Yet, what it will be is 100% up to what we start doing today. Not just that other guy already on here. You, me and that guy.
Like everything else that requires a new way of thinking, we need to step back and assess where we are so we can distance ourselves from current habits. Great — you’re on Twitter blasting away. But, as our Double Rainbow friend would say: what does it mean?