Posted on: December 11th, 2011 by Geoff Livingston 1 Comment
I gave the following commencement speech yesterday in Richmond to Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Mass Communications. The speech focuses on what makes for a successful career in communications, specifically by navigating today’s fast moving media environment. The keys to success are gaining experience and delivering impact.
Thank you to Bill Farrar, Yan Jin, Jon Newman and the rest of the faculty at VCU for having me. And thanks to those of you who took the poll and answered questions on the challenges facing today’s communications students entering the job market.
The train wreck scene in Super 8 captivates you with its sheer level of destruction, power and unbridled fear. The scene is an awesome spectacle of sheer force and damage, one that you replay a couple of times to see which parts you missed. That doesn’t mean you want to hang out by the tracks for the next scheduled train wreck.
Yet isn’t that how some online personalities act online?
Image by Grand Canyon NPS
A continuous train wreck of blog posts and social media updates detailing questionable acts and bad decisions definitely commands attention. Affairs, drunken debacles, bad business decisions, on and on. Kim Kardashian or Ozzy Osbourne imitations, the reality blogging is quite stunning. If the bumbling stumbling jalopy of voices keep it going for long enough, they may even command a significant online following. And why not? It’s entertaining (at least to some)!
However, garnering attention through a series of mishaps does not make a great marketer. On the contrary, it is simply a text version of reality TV.
Yet in the world of social media we like to anoint heroes based on follower counts and subscribership, one of the primary reasons why ROI is an elusive pursuit for many online practitioners.
In the end, cheap attention getting tactics don’t earn transactions. And that’s apparent when you look at data that examines conversion per follower with these folks. One chap boasts hundreds of thousands of followers, but can’t even raise $2000 in an online fundraiser.
The lesson: Discerning buyers don’t respect train wrecks. Neither should you.
Posted on: December 3rd, 2011 by Geoff Livingston 5 Comments
So goes the chorus of the classic Kinks tune, “Father Christmas.” A funny punk commentary that cuts right to the core of what Christmas has become to our culture, a time to get stuff, or preferably just some money (bonus, boss?).
Consumerism has become our value set. Looking good, having things, freedom to buy things, these are all of great value to the American mindset.
Yet when you consider the top five things the dying consider on their death bed, no where do you see money or stuff on the list. Nor do you see popularity or massive follower counts on it (booyah, Klout).
Instead, the dying wish they had focused on things like spending more time with their family, working less hard, finding courage to express their feelings, developing more companionship, and learning to be happy right where they are. You see time and presence are the most important things in life.
Of all the things we pursue, how we spend our time is the most important consideration. It is our most precious resource, far more meaningful than money.
When considering expenditures this holiday season, career plans for 2012, and contributions (or lack thereof) to our communities, perhaps we should ask is this a good use of time? Father Christmas may bring you the goods, or even some cash, but he won’t ever be able to give you back today, tomorrow or the memories with family and friends we passed on yesterday.
Give the gift of time this holiday season. What do you think of consumerism during the holidays?
