stephen ellis's blog

Let me start by saying I love my job. Being paid to write stories, strategies, and help clients engage meaningfully with their audience is more than I could have hoped for.

The down side of being so enamoured with work, is I find that it chews the majority of my time. When not applying what I know, I’m plugged in. And I wouldn’t change it for the world.

The problem is my mind is constantly occupied, which could one day lead to  professional fatigue. Whereas social media is my day job, the same applies to any profession.

If you’re into what you do then you’ll seek out others within the same tribe. Soon you’ll be spending all of your down time up, leaving you feeling a little upside down.

As more people discover the joy (addiction) of social media, I imagine more will suffer the same fate.

It struck me the other day, feet up on the couch, that there is an exception to the rule: Instagram.

If you’re not familiar, Instagram is a photo sharing iPhone application. It incorporates filters that allow even the most amateur photographer’s shots to look classy. Like most social platforms, followers, likes, and comments are all part of the fun.

Maybe it’s me, but the act of sharing and looking at photos is so simple. People shed their corporate garb and are become everyday people, as opposed to CEO, Creative Director, Digital Strategist, or Taxi Driver.

Not once have I felt the need to share an image relating to my job. The same seems to go for other to. It’s just real people sharing pics of places they go, things they see, friends, family, and whatever else takes their fancy. There’s something beautiful about this.

Instagram provides me with an alternative to other, more work focused social platforms, relieving the fatigue which can accompany them. There’s no need, no place, no desire, for it to become other than what it is.

So on behalf of all us who love our jobs but need a little down time, thank you Instagram.

What do you think. Is it just me, or do platforms like Instagram have an important place in the social media universe?

As Alex Bogusky says, fear is the moral enemy of creativity. If we accept this – and I do – courage is the lifelong friend of creativity.

This post looks at courage and creativity in the form of disruption. But first, a little story.

A little story

He was famous for being obnoxious and getting about in garish attire. He attracted all sorts of attention, little of which was positive. Luckily he was a swordsman, quite skilled so the story goes.

Nobody liked the obnoxious fellow, naturally. When passing through a small village, he was challenged to a duel. But this was all the norm for the peacock swordsman.

The big day arrived.

Not wanting to let an opportunity pass, some local lads decided they’d do all a favour and knock him off. This was of course unbeknown to the challenger who was also a swordsman of repute.

As soon as the two swordsmen were set to duel, the young men let fly with arrows. Our villain died. Dead, before he could draw his sword. Crowds cheered and the lads felt pretty chuffed.

Our friendly challenger however, cried. The boys prostrated in front of him, apologising for taking his glory.
The older man scored them. “Idiots. I wasn’t chasing glory. This man was far more skilled than me.”

The boys looked at each other, shrugging shoulders and shaking heads.

“Why do you think he acted and dressed the way he did? He looked like an ass to draw attention to himself, to provoke people into challenging him.”

The man stood up, preparing to leave. “It takes courage to put yourself out there. All young people should aspire to be like him at least once.”

Courage, disruption, success

There are many lessons that could be drawn from this little story. The one I want to focus on is having the courage to disrupt.

If you want to get people’s attention in our busy virtual marketplace, you have to let it all hang out. You have to put something into the public domain that’s wild enough to get people to look. I mean really look. And then tell their friends.

But doing so takes courage. Namely, the courage to sell the idea:

1. To your team. Whether you’re the CMO or an intern, saying something outlandish will likely get odd looks. But if you liked mediocre and hiding in the back, you probably wouldn’t work in marketing communications.

2. To your bosses (or other decision makers). This takes more guts as these people a) can fire you, and b) will immediately see how failure affects them. But you influence people for a living, so I’m sure you’ll have them convinced in no time. Plus, if you thought failure was a real possibility you’d have come up with a better idea.

3. To your client. Clients want you to make them look good and cause them little/no stress. So enchant them. Show examples of similar things that worked for others, give them facts and figures, as well as the tools they need to sell the idea internally. Don’t forget, they’ll need as much courage as you.

In short

Don’t be discouraged by the fact that the guy in the story died. Being a samurai was a far tougher gig than a communicator (and they have swords so are automatically cooler).

Our industry is also full of examples of wildly creative ideas. Just remember, each of those ideas started with someone who had the courage to draw attention to themselves.

My challenge to you is to do something that scares you each week (bonus points if that involves wearing happy pants to work). I dare you.

*My little story is based on a historical account I read in Kendo World magazine. Alas, I cannot recall the author or swordsman’s name. 

You hate it more times than not, but it’s what keeps you coming back. Change.

It doesn’t matter what you think about changes made to facebook because it’s the changes that hold your attention.

Just like the second time you watched that horror movie and weren’t scared by that scene, your hyper-stimulated brain had already processed the known and gave its attention to the unknown. The new.

The clever team at facebook know this and have continually presented us with changes. From the introduction of applications, then more applications, then a change to this and that and so on.

By the time you get used to something they change it. And your brain processes the changes as something new, something needing attention. Clever hey?

Myspace and Friendster didn’t get it. Apple and Amazon do. Enough said.

Your job is to keep this in mind the next time you want to get someone’s attention, or you’re warned against changing what ain’t broke.

Innovation is change. Disruption rules.

Technology is new. People are not. Predicting online social media trends might be far simpler than we thought.

A group listens as a well known influencer shares his wisdom.

Members of his community ask questions, respectfully challenging the influencer’s ideas. He engages them, and by the end of the conversation has convinced the group. Again.

His followers spread these ideas with their own friends and followers. One of his keenest followers eventually shared a transcript of some of his best ideas.

By recording and sharing this influencer’s ideas, Plato went on to become an influencer in his own right. I’m glad he did, because we might not otherwise have known of Socrates. But that’s not really the point.

The point is that while technology is new, people are not. We’ve been following the same patterns for centuries.

Influencers, followers, communities, tribes, sharing, engaging, meet-ups, connecting, liking. It’s nature, not new.

So the next time you’re looking to predict social media trends, just whip out your portable wormhole (smartphone) and go back in time for a little digital archaeology. It’s much easier than the Lara Croft, Tomb Raider type stuff, and you’re guaranteed more trends than the heart desires, both good and bad.

I just hope none of the influencers I know end up like Socrates.

Too many brands are like too many men. Here are ten reasons why:

1. They want me for one thing and one thing only

2. Promise the world, then disappoint

3. Pay no attention to me when they get what they want

4. Play on my insecurities to make me think I need them

5. Always think they’ve got the solution

6. Claim to listen, but don’t

7. Annoy me when I’d rather be doing other things

8. Worry that I tell my friends, everything

9. Make me jealous when I see them with others. Like famous people.

10. Think something is true, just because they say so

I’m pretty sure this list could be much longer. What do you say, how else are brands like men (or women)?