You’re in marketing for one reason: Grow. Grow your company, reputation, customers, impact, profits. Grow yourself. This is a community that will help. It will stretch your mind, connect you to fascinating people, and provide some fun along the way. I am so glad you’re here. -Mark Schaefer
This is a post that is probably going to piss some people off, but it must be said.
I am increasingly being tagged in stupid Facebook posts like this one:
What’s your favorite flavor of lollipop? Go!
Now, when I get an alert that I have been tagged in a post (or photo), I always take a look to see what’s going on. I think that is just polite and usually the content is something relevant and interesting. However, in cases like this, I sincerely doubt anybody actually cares about my favorite flavor of lollipop. I don’t typically consume many lollipops. Perhaps that surprises you?
This practice of tag-bombing people to artificially drive engagement is simply the new version of telemarketing. You know, those annoying sales people who interrupt you with a call you to sell you insurance or something? Even if you hang up right away, it has distracted you from your day and wasted your time.
I have also noticed that family and true friends don’t ever tag bomb. Why would they? It seems to be coming from the social media gurus and demi-gurus. To what end? The only possible explanation is that they need to drive the engagement numbers up that fuel a Klout score or other metric. Shudder.
C’mon folks. Stop this silliness. If you want engagement, do the work.
So far, I have been trying to provide gentle return comments like “It is not cool to tag me in a post that has nothing to do with me.” But maybe I should give them a taste of their own medicine and start tag bombing them too?
What’s your favorite Disney character? Go!
