Mulling over media and it’s creation of personalities, or people who try to create a personality.
I do understand the fact that in any business promotion of the business, and your role is important for raising awareness amongst the industry community you work in, including clients. However I personally try and draw a line at self promotion to the detriment of the business that employs you (conflict of interest) and to the detriment of you the person, and your integrity.
For example I have begun to notice that LinkedIn is getting hammered with self promotion and it does concern me that older, more experienced individuals are setting the example or the height of the bar for the younger ones coming into the business. Do we want an advertising industry staffed by vacuous persons, only interested in self? I also do wonder if people read such posts, or to be frank can be bothered, have time; or if reading a post wonder if they obtained something of benefit, depending on what you define as benefit.
Is this a mid life crisis I ask? Is self promotion taking away from growing and teaching the new talent coming into the business, something I bemoan. Or maybe I am a 49 year old dinosaur? But that is how I was brought up at the start of my career when I started off in August 1994 in London in national press. And it is also what I have learnt out of the business through thankfully having bosses who acted as mentors and taught me that if you grow people, they grow you, the business. If you give, you get back. I discovered helping people in their career (and not view them as a threat) gives pleasure and where respect occurs it ultimately aids you if in a senior role with loyal and hard working staff.
“Our awesome responsibility to ourselves, to our children, and to the future is to create ourselves in the image of goodness, because the future depends on the nobility of our imaginings.” Barbara Grizzuti Harrison
It is not about going toe to toe with a youngster, it is about growing people, and thus you grow yourself and lead by example, and word will be spread in a humble and honest way by others about you. Awareness not by your words, your interpretation of yourself. You become unique, not another wrapped in self promotion on LinkedIn and other forms of social media. Do you really want to appear full of narcissism, full of self importance, full of your own belief and opinion instead of helping others? Instead of letting your peers judge you, which can and is a brave thing to do?
I am not against shouting out about yourself to your fellows in this industry, especially when seeking to make people aware of services, skills you offer, or you have something interesting to say. After all we work in advertising.
In finishing, do I watch the many videos I see on LinkedIn? No.
