Right or wrong, as a marketer [and perhaps particularly as someone on the agency side] I feel self-imposed restraint about what I can/can't say in the public eye of social media. Both in the content of what I put out and the tone in which I convey it.
Why?
- You never know what brand you're pitching next. And without a doubt, most prospects are going to Google the pitch team to see what they're all about. How would they feel if they came across a snarky blog post about their recent ad campaign? Or a sharply worded critique of how they handled a recent crisis in social media? Some would be fine [maybe even appreciate it]. But there are a lot of fragile egos out there.
- It's a small world, this marketing echo chamber in which we play. You never know who your next potential boss might be. Do you want to be face-to-face with a person you harshly criticized (a) on day one of that person as the new boss at your company or (b) during a job interview?
- What Mona Lisa have I painted that gives me the right to cast stones?
How does this affect/restrain my social media behavior?
- A foul word slips out every once in a while, but for the most part I keep it clean. Some people are very sensitive to language.
- Particularly when it comes to creative, I constructively question, but stop short of criticizing.
- I find myself staying away from certain brands altogether ... particularly if they are big players in categories I know I want to work in.
- I never [at least to the best of my memory] talk trash about another agency. I've walked in their shoes, and have no interest in piling on the negativity.
Don't get me wrong ... I have opinions. Strong ones. But I express them in other ways than in the public eye.
Do you think I'm taking the easy way out? Do you have any of the same concerns? Would love to hear your POV.