How to nail your socials, according to Chris Rock
Social has two fundamental problems:
Everyone in the organisation thinks it’s their turn to talk
They’re also afraid of the public talking back
Result: lots of content, little substance. Because substance needs difference. And difference is scary.
This is why best practices are a way to not lose, not a way to win. To win, you need to go beyond them. To be less afraid of the public humiliation. Chances are… you may never truly face it.
Fact: most brands aren’t hated, they’re just not noticed. So how do you get noticed? Treat social like a local stand up gig. Consider what Chris Rock does at local gigs before he touches a special.
He simply tries a bunch of jokes on for size. He reads a note with the joke, sees the response, kills or keeps it. Rinse. Repeat. Over and over again. ‘Kill your darlings’ on overdrive.
Social is the same type of setting. It’s not Madison Square Garden, it’s the local Comedy Store. The place where you try things on for size. The downside: people won’t notice, and move on. The upside: you might strike gold on occasion. But only if you’re willing to go to the edge of your craft.
As Nietzsche said:
“What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”
Better yet:
“When we don’t kill, we get to be stronger.”
Because now we know what doesn’t work. Which gets us closer to what might. The point isn’t to fail fast. It’s to recover faster.
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