Is it crooked pool to email, IM, Stumble, Tweet or shout at a friend to recommend content, if there’s a possible social media vote involved?
Recently my new friend Tamar and I hosted an amazing dialog amongst other search marketing pals in several comment threads including a triple Sphinn shot, sphunn OUT following one post each in Techpedia and AIMCLEARBlog. Regarding this matter, I was paying careful attention to the difference in rules for rock stars and little people.
All the beautiful people were there stylin’ in the threads and the discussion was exhilarating if not exhausting. There was so much to learn and the experience was the exact inspiration I personally needed to plug OUT from the Sphinn treadmill, at least to some sane future level. I work WAY too hard to have my fellow little people chastised by rock stars-for behaving…well like rock stars. You Guys are Killin’ me.
There were several excellent follow up posts around the Blogosphere. Vigorous debate regarding critical issues of the day really makes my heart pump. Now I need a nap, a good meal, and two extra days this week in devotion to our precious clients.
I paid close attention to the ruckus and best I can tell:
1 NO asking rock star diggers to consider content if there’s a possible vote involved. They complain about it in private and public as a violation of the soul and integrity of social media. They deride the little people that MADE them famous and bitch about little people’s use of networking tactics rock stars use everyday…sane, healthy, and respectful content promotion among friends. Networking is HOW they GOT to be rock stars! I believe in the wisdom of the mob too. Tell the rock stars that mobs have leaders, who lead by evangelizing, and to suggest otherwise is ludicrous.
2 Rock stars can ask little people for diggs or stumbles but only as part of an unidentifiable rotation organized between hundreds of little people friends…or if the rock stars are really stuck for votes. Rock star diggers prefer their vote-whores IP-untraceable. At 5K an article, if a rock star NEEDS to ask for a little nudge to go hot, believe me-THEY ASK.
3 All of the little people get to go to social media conferences where they spend DAYS listening to rock star diggers TALKING AND TALKING about Digg. The little people receive lots of useful advice about CONTACTING YOUR DIGG, SU, and FACEBOOK FRIENDS to promote content for votes. This way little people learn the “respectable” PR method. Except if you’re a rock star it’s called “networking” and “making friends” not “begging.” If you’re a little person…then you just plain suck for networking-unless you’re paying 2K to attend a conference to network with the rock stars about networking…but the ticket is only good for the conference.
4 Rock star bloggers, in post after FLIPPIN’ post, WRITE ARTICLES about appropriate methods to pitch blog content. LOL, Magically, that somehow all goes away if you’re promoting the same blog post in emails to your friends or on StumbleUpon, Sphinn, or Digg…unless you’re a rock star-THEY can do anything they please and call it appropriate etiquette and teach their method at conferences.
5 So far as Sphinn goes the hypocrisy is pathetic. Follow this: The little people Sphinn the rock star diggers’ stuff, often without reviewing it, because the little people want diggs. Look at the rock star diggers’ “gone hot” percentage and you’ll see what I mean. Rock stars don’t NEED to ask for friends to take a look at cool bookmarked content. Little people DO need to ask in order to engage in healthy professional networking and promote content that matters to them.
6 We’ve all been brainwashed. WE don’t make ad revenue from Sphinn and Sphinn is of little use in selling our clients’ wares. Now that I’ve somehow reached the rarefied air high on the Sphinn network page (especially since this little person causes a tiny fracas now and then 🙂 ) all the beautiful people know who I am.
After that, no reason remains why this little person should SPEND ALL OF MY TIME scouring the Internet for wonderful content to highlight for my phriends. What for? I’m not allowed to SHARE it with my friends unless by secret handshake. Somehow submitting content to Sphinn means you’re DONE promoting it. It was less emotional to read 20 blogs every day.
</Rant>
