Last week, Vox published an article by internet culture reporter Rebecca Jennings about how everybody needs to be a self-promoter now—and we all hate it. Then, I read a response by writer and book coach Leigh Stein, who was quoted in the Vox piece, in which she admitted to actually enjoying creating her social media content. Stein said that she was considerably more optimistic about the state of things than Jennings article was.
I found the exchange fascinating. I find it hard to disagree with either of their perspectives! And Stein wasn't really disagreeing with Jennings either—which left me with one thought: I don't think we're talking about the same things here.
So I resurrected an old piece from July 2021 that made the case I wanted to make—that self-promotion sucks and is contentless, but that self-promotion is not the only mode for creating content that gets the job done on social media—and updated it for today's social media moment. This episode has my response to both Jennings's and Stein's articles, as well as a description of how enshittification doesn't only apply to platforms but to creators, too. And then, I share the 3 Rs of Digital Content.
Footnotes:
All new episodes are available in written essay form at whatworks.fyi
***
If you’re questioning your relationship to work but finding it difficult to make lasting changes, I’d love to help.
I’m committed to helping you confront and deconstruct big assumptions that compete with your good intentions. And that’s exactly what we’re doing in my new 8-week cohort-based course, Rethink Work.
We’ll examine the beliefs, stories, and systems that keep us hustling—even when it hurts—so you can make changes that last and create a more sustainable approach to work.
★ Support this podcast ★EP 423: This is Not Advice: What can I do to grow my audience?
EP 422: The "Risks" of Losing What You Never Had with Nathalie Lussier
EP 421: AI, Automation, and the Case for Luddism
EP 420: Why every business is "on a mission to..."
EP 419: What is an “ethical business?” with Brooke Monaghan
EP 418: [Dispatch] Going beyond the "greedy corporation" critique
EP 417: [Dispatch] "All parasites have value"
EP 416: Anxiety (and Mental Health) in the Achievement Society with Morra Aarons-Mele
EP 415: The Economics of Being Needy with Mara Glatzel
EP 414: The Economics of Ideas with Jenny Blake
EP 413: The Economics of Getting (And Paying) Attention: Part 2
BONUS: Permission to Speak with Samara Bay
EP 412: The Economics of Paying Attention (Part 1)
EP 411: The Economics of Cashflow (Remix)
EP 410: The Economics of Work Relationships with Kate Strathmann
EP 409: The Economics Of Information and Care
EP 408: The Economics Of Big (and Small) Decisions with Hillary Rea
EP 407: How To Feel Good About Going Slow
A Vision for Work in 2023 (and Beyond)
EP 406: Our Favorite Things of 2022
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Commercial Edge: Unleash the Power of People
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Organic Marketing Simplified: Master podcast marketing, fuel podcast growth, and make money podcasting!
THE GO BIZ GUY
The Sigma Femme Podcast
The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway
The Money Mondays