[A personal note to my readers: This piece, in no way, is meant to judge, point fingers, shame or blame. I recognize that there are other, equally-valid, ways of looking at this subject. The intention of this piece is to share my personal perspective, in hopes to open-up a safe dialogue on the topic and explore if there are better ways we can support one another that don’t come with the side-effects I’m experiencing. Please read this through that lens.]
It’s 6:30 am on a typical weekday. I’ve finished my writing and I’m getting ready to switch gears and move into engagement-mode. I’m lucky. I have hundreds of talented friends and colleagues who keep me thinking. Keep me inspired. Some even keep me entertained. They make me want to be better. A better me.
It also brings me great joy to encourage great work.
I open up LinkedIn and notice that my notifications have exploded. No. It’s not because hundreds of people have engaged in my work. It’s because hundreds of people have mass-tagged me. It’s not that I’m special. They’ve tagged everyone in their network on their post.
Most of the people who tag me, I don’t even know. Many have just recently connected with me. Now I regret accepting their connection request, which makes me sad.
So many feelings. I’ve just opened LinkedIn and already, I’m completely overwhelmed, anxious, frustrated, and sad. My first instinct is to close the page and go on with the rest of my day. I take a deep breath and dive in.
I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve spent time on my LinkedIn Homepage. My notifications are like the screaming child in the background, always calling out for my attention. My homepage, which used to bring me great joy, gets lost in the sea of voices calling out to be heard.
I used to love to organically discover greatness. To peruse the homepage at my leisure and pore over whatever caught my eye. I would stumble across new ideas and people I’ve never met, like hidden treasures. I would sprinkle words of encouragement and shine a light on goodness. It gave me an avenue to connect with the world in a deep and meaningful way.
The days of organic perusal are gone.
I now have a love-hate relationship with LinkedIn. I have met most of my favorite people on the planet on the LinkedIn platform. As a lone wolf, these remarkable human beings have given me a sense of community. I love “seeing” them every day and celebrating the work they’re doing in the world. I remind myself that were it not for LinkedIn, none of these people would be in my life. How many other wonderful people are yet to be discovered?
But the feelings are real. The sadness, overwhelm, anxiety, and frustration I feel with the Linkedin tagging game is causing me to engage less and less. Outside of my partnership with BizCatalyst 360°, I rarely post my own work on LinkedIn anymore. Without tagging people, my work doesn’t get seen and why would it? Nobody else is looking at their homepage either; they’re all busy reading their tags. There are only so many hours in a day.
Tagging was not an indication of ill intent or wrong-doing, it was simply smart business.
When the tagging-game started about three years ago, I made an early decision not to follow the crowd. How-to-be-an-influencer-posts were all the rage, recommending tagging as a means to increase engagement, thus not only giving permission but encouraging the practice of mass-tagging for anyone who wanted to grow their “platform.” Within a year, it became common practice. Even people who weren’t trying to be “influencers” were doing it because it seemed that that’s what you’re supposed to do. Tagging was not an indication of ill intent or wrong-doing, it was simply smart business.
And it works. You tag everyone in your network, many engage, which kicks the algorithm in gear and thus the likes and comments continue. One goes from a relatively unknown writer to someone who is attracting a fairly large audience quite quickly. If you factor in the oxytocin rush you get from all the engagement, it’s easy to see why the practice has caught fire.
But from the very beginning, I felt conflicted. I wanted to democratize a conversation, which requires a broader reach. I wanted a healthy business and didn’t want to be the fool. But it felt icky to me. It felt icky to me because it quickly started to feel icky to be on the receiving end of all the tags. Instead of joyfully engaging, I was starting to feel obligated to engage, and that, for me, changed everything.
It also gave me a clear sense of direction for myself.
My work is all about authenticity. In that conversation, obligation becomes a barrier to connection. I knew that engaging in mass-tagging, when I experienced feeling obligated when I was mass-tagged, muddied the waters for me. If my intention is truly to connect, authentically, then I couldn’t afford to be incongruent. Not just from a business standpoint, but from being in alignment with myself, which, arguably, is the bigger price to pay.
You see, I was being mass-tagged by 30 – 50 people a day. Most of whom had just connected with me. Few who cared about my work and engaging in the conversation I was passionate about. They were simply hoping I would comment to drive their engagement. I felt used.
In the mix, were taggers I know and love. Their reasons for tagging are as varied as they are as people, but most are pure of heart and enthusiastic about creating community and building a business that makes a difference. I want to read their work. I’m happy to see them.
And, the feelings are still there.
You see, for me, it’s all just a big hairball. The sheer volume of tags and the unclear intention around the tags leads to feelings. Regardless of who the tagger is, it’s the mass-tag-thing that ignites the feelings. For me, it has become a trigger.
Every day, during the one-hour I allocate for reading content (otherwise I’d never get anything done), I sit and try to mindfully tease apart the who and the why of the tagging. I work to assume positive intent. I continue to pick and choose my engagement. But my insides are loaded. The trigger is real. I recognize that I can choose, in my settings, to not allow myself to be tagged, but there are times that I’m grateful for the tag, so I’m conflicted.
To make matters worse, this is the kind of thing that feels scary to talk about. I don’t want others to feel bad and I don’t want to be the “bad-dog.” I want to be liked and I don’t want to be kicked off the Island. I know that nobody is trying to make me feel overwhelmed or frustrated—that it’s not about me at all—so I find myself stuffing the feelings and ever so slowly, pulling away.
But that’s not what I want either.
I’m wondering (she writes, as she feels like she wants to vomit) if it’s possible to awkwardly open up the conversation to see if I’m the only person feeling these feelings. If I am, then maybe I’ll just seek out a LinkedIn therapist and go about my business (please don’t volunteer for the job). But if I’m not…can we explore ways to collectively engage and support one another in a way that feels good to all of us? For in not having the conversation, nothing will change.
Like many things, I think mass-tagging has evolved. When it first started, it created communities that didn’t exist. It lifted people up who didn’t realize how talented they were. It ignited rich conversations and provided deep connection. In its infancy, mass-tagging had a tremendous upside.
But like we’re experiencing with much of social media, it also has a shadow-side. We fill our echo-chambers with our like-minded-friends. Resentments build when the unspoken quid-pro-quo of commenting isn’t reciprocated. Our productivity wanes in our genuine efforts to ensure everyone feels seen and heard. Our posts are getting lots of likes, but are they really building our businesses and creating change?
I think, like everything in life, it calls for us to go back to our core. What do we really want? Why do we really write? Who are we writing for?
Ourselves?
For me, my tagging rules have been:
- to tag someone if I reference them, their work, or what they’re known for contributing
- when I think something will be of interest to that person (usually it’s someone else’s piece, not my own)
- when I want to lift someone up by recognizing them.
But I’ve paid the price for my perspective. I’ve been my own roadblock to getting my work out into the world. At least on LinkedIn.
As I sort this out for myself, I invite you to explore the questions with me. When and why do we tag? What feels good to people? It’s likely different for all of us. How can we use this incredible technology we’ve been given to serve the difference we aim to make in the world rather than overwhelm us? How do we ensure that we’re not just talking to ourselves all the time?
There are no easy answers. No right way. I recognize that I come from a place of privilege to even see the madness of tagging as a problem worth addressing. But maybe, that’s how we begin to tackle the bigger problems in life. We learn how to discuss some of these low-stakes issues that muddy our minds in a thoughtful and honest way so that we can build our courage to deal with the harder things that demand our brave. That, for me, is the game I want to play.
©A Thoughtful Company, LLC 2020
I’m late to this party Kimberly. At the time of your writing of your excellent article, to be honest, I would’ve still been in the mindset that “Tag” was a years-gone-by game played on the lawn with my sibs & friends. Oh, how much water has gone under that bridge. Since meeting Dennis my world has opened to many of the incredible people of BizCat and the plethora of valuable content. Your tagging rules are excellent, as is your entire piece. Thank you for your insights.
“For me, my tagging rules have been:
to tag someone if I reference them, their work, or what they’re known for contributing
when I think something will be of interest to that person (usually it’s someone else’s piece, not my own)
when I want to lift someone up by recognizing them.” Kimberly Davis
Mariah! What a treat it was to see this and you! It’s perfectly timed, on the day after Thanksgiving, to have yet another reason to give thanks.
It’s been so long since I’d written this – in fact so long since I’ve written anything- that I had forgotten about it. I wrote that piece before we moved to Costa Rica.
I ended up, as you know, pulling further and further away from social media. I felt lost in the noise and couldn’t find my own voice anymore. What I realize, through this exchange, is that I miss these connections and I miss writing. So THANK YOU for taking the time to comment on this ancient piece!
I still don’t know how I want to engage but you have helped me realize I can still chew on the question. That the door isn’t closed. What a remarkable thing to remember! What a gift you are!
All the best to you and Byron!
Kimberly, You have said what many of us feel, but have not realized what we are doing, why we are tagging a number of people every time we write a post. It is certainly addictive and one can feel low when not everyone responds with glowing appreciation. A number of regular connections do reply almost every time, and I enjoy reciprocating; but the actual numbers are minimal. In reality it makes good sense to focus on those who have a mutual attitude towards commenting on each others posts/content.
You have certainly focused my mind and attitude towards tagging. Essentially guess I could just allow ‘network only’ but this does not tag individuals. It certainly can create anxiety. I for one seem to find ‘endorsement’ positive, but you can’t expect people to drop what they’re doing an comment on a comment.
Linkedin as a platform covering many different experience-types, subject focus, directors of companies, sales, support, N.A.S.A. writing, poetry and more. Linkedin is possibly the only platform (social media) that offers genuine friendships. No nasty comments. Empathetic, genuine kindness. I have been an enthusiastic Linkedin member of decades and have morphed my profile from European-wide exec search to creative writing. The profile change has been truly wonderful, for I am not in contact with so many like-minded people.
Your article has shone a light on what I could not realize myself. To only tag a small number of mutual contacts that are happy to be tagged,. From now on, thanks to your analysis and insight, I am now liberated from the tagging fever. I have accepted a ‘taggectomy’! It is painless!
Kimberly you are a truly wonderful individual. Brave Leadership is what it is all about and you have demonstrated your bravery by sharing your feelings, emotions and attitude towards the tagging fever.
I have to thank you so much, my friend. And you, Kimberly are a Beacon of Positivity.
I adore you so much, Simon. I just discovered this comment! I have no idea how long ago you took the time to write this so please forgive me in the delay. You are a light in my life, my friend. I have so enjoyed watching your writing take flight. While I may not always have the time to read everything, I am always genuinely excited to “see” you, my friend! Sending hugs from across the pond!
Bravo, Kimberly (again and again) for your wisdom and your courage in dealing with an amazingly “sensitive” issue for so many. We simply need to do our collective best to bring “social” back to social media, replacing tags & likes with real engagement (such as that you demonstrate daily), because THAT is where authentic relationships are formed. … The stage was set when we published this one six months ago/we hope more folks will now follow your lead, my friend: https://www.bizcatalyst360.com/time-to-bring-social-back-to-social-media/
I’m so grateful to you, my co-collaborator and friend, for all you do. You have helped bridge my brave more times than I can count. Careful what you wish for, Dennis Pitocco! LOL!
Oh Kimberly! Bravo!
This resonates with me and as I read your words I’m feeling affirmation to my own thoughts. I’m not a tagger and only did so in some cases where I thought it was expected of me. I’m all about organic reach and authentic content. I was sharing words and encouraging others along the way.
I’ve met so many wonderful people on the platform and come to love many.
Over the past year I have experienced much of the “tagging blues”. It wasn’t something I ever did. As I was getting tagged more often, I was personally taking it as an invitation to participate in a post. I felt the time returned to respond was part of my integrity. I relied on the notifications to let me know. As I grew I found I could just not keep up. I was very overwhelmed. I still am. And this was just from being mentioned. I tried the mass tagging when I started with Bizcatalyst360 as this was my writing community to me, I also thought it was expected. Part of my apprehension was that I would forget people. I also did not want to force people to read my content.
As you state here, less time was granted for me to peruse through and find the organic interests out there.
My integrity to me was compromised as I was learning about this tagging society.
My time management was forever being challenged as growth for me was taking off at the same time. This said more to me and I took note of this. If I was posting without tagging and still growing, then I must be doing something well enough for people to take notice. I believed in my writing and wanted the pride of reach without forcing an audience. I continued to believe in what I was doing. I set some boundaries and kept to my way. I did not join the mass “tribes” or many groups too. I kept engaging. This was the key and what a writer/ creator wants. I encouraged the reading and kept believing.
That being said, I made some great friends, joined others who networked as this was what worked. I found the people who had good intentions and common interests were here. The support continues. The engagement in my posts were always a priority to me and then I’d set off into the community. It is very time consuming and I still evolve with it.
I was responding to people, this also is a “tag” that can land you in tagjail, I learned all about this too! My reputation as someone who doesn’t tag is out there. People get to know you. We teach them with our behaviour.
So I walked my own walk, stopped when wanted and continued to support others as well. Linked alone is massive and I realize there are ways to work social media, but at the same time, I had to do what I felt was right.
With growth too, you feel used many times, the larger the network, then the more likely you will be randomly tagged. Your response in any post introduces your network immediately. The tagged response does this…degrees of connections… many times I thought “ what the heck”? To a tagging of my name. Lol, Now I know better. If it is not suitable to me, it’s ok to not say anything. Having a large following too is a responsibility. Where I step digitally says a lot about me. My reputation so to speak. I take it seriously. I’m ok if I miss much, I’m only human and need to do what I am here to do and continuously battle the “nagging of tagging”. My awareness has increased, my perceptions are from experience and I am always careful. There are a lot of people out here I question their intentions.
There are some who genuinely use tagging as I think it should be used.
To give credit too or quote
To thank them
To share something they may have an interest in
To share what may be important
To mention in response with appreciation
Just a few reasons here that I carry
Social media platforms all have different algorithms that change constantly.
This was also something I picked up on, that’s another topic…lol
As a writer putting work out there, it helps to figure out what works for you, but true engagement expands your network. Mass tagging can and will drive you mad. Knowing how to handle it is something you discover. It is a choice, your choice. Just because your mentionnée doesn’t mean you always hear it. We cannot condemn what we do not know and like the world, you may be mentionnée and that’s ok if you miss it. Know your own space and take care of your own place.
Well, I’ve said much here but you hit it right on the head with this article, I hope you don’t mind my length in. Response, but I had a lot of thoughts here too.
I like your idea of a LinkedIn therapist! Lol. I think you have something there!
Thank you for this Kimberly.
Paula, I LOVE that you’re so invested in this conversation that you took the time to share your thoughts in such detail. This is awesome. I love your “genuinely used tags” and I know they will inspire others to not only be more mindful, but give them new ideas about how they can include others in the conversation in a meaningful way!
I have just spent considerable time reading your article and all the responses. Whew! Talk about engagement! I can’t imagine being tagged 30-50.times in a day. That really would drive me wild. Because I get tagged only once or twice a day, my perspective is of little consequence. But I want to say this one thing anyway. Without being tagged, I would never have seen this article. In fact, I wouldn’t see many LinkedIn articles at all without tagging. There is so little time to read, unless I am specifically researching a topic, I basically read articles I’m tagged on. My colleagues know me and what I am interested in. I noticed suddenly the tagging stopped and I wondered why. Now I understand it. Thank you so much for writing this article. And thank you, Dennis for including it in your email.
Hi Jane! Thanks so much for investing so much of yourself in this conversation! You know, I agree, tagging is a mixed bag. There are times I’m grateful to have had my attention brought to a piece, so it’s not an all-or-nothing thing. I’ve really appreciated getting Dennis’ daily digest in my inbox as it gives me a chance to peruse what’s been recently published. I also don’t want readership to fall off for Biz Cat and want to ensure that writers still get their work read as good work deserves an audience. I’ve started the practice of choosing three pieces a morning to share on Linkedin, only tagging the writer (and if someone else is referenced in the piece I’ll tag them too) and Biz Cat. That way, they have a chance to like and comment and hopefully kick the algorithm in gear without the mass tagging approach. I’d love to say it’s working, but it’s definitely slow. I have more than 8,000 followers. You would think that Linkedin would show at least some of them the things that I post, but still, when I share a piece from a fellow writer (and my own), they’re only getting a couple of likes if others don’t jump in and comment. When others do jump in, it definitely makes a difference. My hope is that we can lift one another up by sharing and commenting when we see a colleague’s work. Not just because we were tagged, but because we sincerely want to support one another. But it’s all a grand experiment at this point.
I am sooo with you on this Kimberly. I’ve never gotten into tagging. And, I just said to a co linkedinner today that LINkedin is failing in my eyes, heart and soul. I love so many people I’ve met here, but I don’t play the tag game. Quite a few of my connections realize this and still follow me loyally. But my posts were disappearing today in the swamp of other posts I suppose whose author tagged zillions which many are doing today.
So, I’m glad you said this.
thank you!
Thank YOU, Laurie. I’m grateful to know I wasn’t alone. When I post my work, it’s rare that anyone likes it but me! Ha! Not the aim…. I’ve been trying a new approach – to pick a few pieces off of Dennis’ digest every day to read – and then share them with the world, tagging the author and BizCat. My hope is that if we can all start lifting each other up, we can find a alternate way to the tagging game. I say this, and at the same time I don’t know if it can actually work. I’ve done it two days in a row. I have more than 8000 followers, but without tagging, they’re only getting 2 – 4 likes and comments. That, to me, says the platform is broken. We shouldn’t need to manipulate the platform or play some big game to ensure the people who are following us see our work.
I’ve been struggling with this for years, too, Kimberly, because it simply feels icky to tag a bunch of people unless I know them and truly believe they’d be interested in the post. And it feels like I’m being used when people include me in mass tagging, just to access my large network.
You know what I LOVE? When someone tags me on a piece they wrote or are sharing because they know me, and are pretty sure it’s relevant to me. And when someone tags me because they’ve shared my content.
I’m with you – and probably cutting off my nose to spite my face in the meantime!
You are my soul sister, Sarah Elkins, in so many ways. I am now transporting myself to your red room and sitting on the floor, feet up, next to you.
100% this!
I knew that engaging in mass-tagging, when I experienced feeling obligated when I was mass-tagged, muddied the waters for me. If my intention is truly to connect, authentically, then I couldn’t afford to be incongruent.
Thanks, Jane. I’m relieved it resonated with you and sorry you’ve experienced the same thing!
Yes! Way to bring authenticity back to networks!
When we engage online, it can be overwhelming. Tagging or being tagged takes the human element out of it; the part of a person that reads, thinks, and evolves. As with everything, I think there’s a fine balance to it all: as a writer, I’d like to support other writers… but if I’m reading their writing and digesting their own viewpoints, where does that leave my time and perspective to write? And on the other side, if I wrote something I’m proud of, how do I socially and tactfully cyber-shove it at my network to get feedback on it (who says I need to)? Otherwise, how do I keep my rampant thoughts in line and online?
We get so distracted by the oxytocin of the bright red notification bar that we forget to truly connect with people. Maybe it’s my math-illiterate brain, but I’ve found that when we start to chase numbers, our value as people decrease. What makes us truly connect, lift each other, support each other, disagree with each other – all forgone in the sake of a little brain boost that went, “Ooh, you did good! 2000 views and 0 comments! You must’ve done everything right, because no one’s disagreeing with you”.
And if you find a social media or LinkedIn therapist – please send them my way, too.
Oh my goodness, Megan, “cyber-shove” might be my new favorite word! LOL! It so perfectly sums up my experience much of the time! My brain and your brain look at the numbers in a similar way. Muchas Gracias, amiga!
Kimberly, yay Kimberly! It’s such a hard thing to maneuver – when to tag, who to tag… and I confess that the overwhelming feeling is shared by many of us. I love it when anyone engages on anything that I write, but like you, I wish it were organic, that somehow my wisdom and my acute sense of the language would magically draw the world to my yammering. I have that big time inferiority complex about what I write… (“Sure, I might have written some good stuff in the past, but what if it sucks this time?”) And the whole thing about tagging feels like “Oh look at me, oh oh. look at me, I wrote a thing, aren’t I something…” And we all know that everyone is crazy busy, and who am I to ask of their time, our most precious commodity of all? I completely understand when people don’t engage, my engagement has fallen off the map lately… People that I do tag are people with whom I have engaged in the past, and people who engaged in my work… I don’t mass tag everyone, yikes, that seems presumptuous. Social media has provided us with such a wonderful gateway to the world, and now many of us are standing here, mouth agape, trying to grasp – holy monkey, the world is big, really big. We can only move ahead, do what feels right, and try to maintain our sense of grace and forbearance as everyone else wrestles with the same question. If someone tags 100 peeps, and 20 respond, that’s 20 more than probably would have without the tag. Tagging might expand the discussion to include some voices we need to hear… but I don’t understand algorithms, so it’s hard for me to suck up to them… and so I prattle on mostly in the dark, hearing from the people whom I have come to treasure.
Oh Tom! I’m sitting here laughing so hard, that I wish you were with me as it would be contagious. “Sucking up to algorithms” is a fruitless game, at least for me, and I prattle on with the best of them in the dark. It’s good to know I’m in such good company. I love your work, Tom Dietzler. I write that not as your friend, but as someone who has read hundreds if not thousands of pieces. You have a special voice – this wonderful infusion of deep curiosity, humor and heart. Your ability to look at and infuse historical context into a conversation is unparalleled. You need to know that. I’m glad we’re connected on so many platforms so that we often bump into one another wandering around in the darkness.
Oh, Kimberly, I am so grateful to know I am not alone. Mostly, I find myself not wanting to tag anyone and I work to only tag a handful of people-those I think would be interested or have engaged with content i’ve poured out here in the past (even last week). Kind of like those who get “bestseller” status for a book that may or may not be high quality writing -I’m thinking of Fifty Shades of Gray-that I didn’t read because I was told by so many people that it was poorly written… I find myself frustrated by the “hustle” for worthiness that seems to be the tagging mess that you’ve described as it has begun to feel crafted from algorithms rather than genuine interest/authentic engagement. I also sense there seems to be fierce competition for this yearning/hunger/thirst to be Seen, Heard, Valued-and I definitely have had my moments of ‘Oh my Gosh! Someone actually is reading something I wrote and seeing the value, feeling the heart of what I had to say…!” and then another part of me says, “Do you really require validation for your goodness, your skill?” What are you actually yearning for? Would I love thousands of people to buy my books and have millions of likes on some post I write? Maybe? Or would I prefer one person-(or a handful) who I actually know-calling me on the phone and enthusiastically letting me know the positive difference my writing/words/poems-podcast interview-whatever-made in their lives? We live in a culture drive by Fame Fortune Awards Millionaires Recognition–being on the Cover of a Magazine–all this falls away if we are not being ourselves, if we have failed to live from our deepest values and commitments, if we’ve compromised our principles for fake flattery from unknown driven up numbers. And I realize that I’m creating an either/or rather than some type of both/and pathway. Your essay begs the question-how do we engage in meaningful, real, genuine, heartfelt ways here on this platform with those with whom we could make a positive difference? If someone is perceived as popular, then others will want to get in on that “popularity.” for all kinds of purposes-some really aligned with those values-and some probably not. Thank you for being willing to read through this “brain dump” of thoughts. Know that your thoughtful piece completely resonates. I don’t get the massive tags you do, but I have often felt I’ve gotten lost, felt ashamed for yearning for recognition in the frenzy of Fame, Popularity Seeking, and Becoming KNOWN. And not willing to throw away what I’ve worked a lifetime to build from the inside-my sense of self, dignity, courage, love, resilience, and compassion.
There you go again, Laura. You are able to put heart-words to the tangled mess that is my insides. I recognize the feeling of being lost and the “shame for yearning for recognition.” I’ll add to that (oh good, now she’s unpacking all her dirty laundry!) the resentment I feel when I see a piece get hundreds of likes because the tagging-game has been employed and it’s really….bad content. It’s just self-aggrandizing schlock (and now I feel bad for being judgmental!). This being human stuff is complicated and social media can accentuate our best and most self-destructive traits. It’s all fodder for self-learning, isn’t it, friend? How do we be the person we want to be, at our best, in a very chaotic world? One mindful action at a time with the support of gentle loving friends like yourself.
Thanks, Kimberly.
I was working on a leadership project with a couple of folks. One of them is all about analytics. I became more and more frustrated because all our conversations were about numbers and I finally said, “But we don’t have an actual product!”
He replied, “But they don’t know that!”
OY!
Given how much online activity has increased, maybe all the data will implode.
Be good. And well.
Mac
LOL! That sums up our world perfectly, Mac! Oh my goodness! We’ve lost the purpose behind the numbers, I’m afraid. I’m with you, “OY!”
Kimberly —
You have a kindred spirit here in me, and I would guess in many others. LinkedIn has almost become a wasteland for my writing and work. If a post requires any work at all – like READING – engagement drops. I see a lot of what I’ll call grazers on LinkedIn; they’ve simply imported their bad Facebook habits:
Step 1. Look
Step 2. Decide
Step 2a. Click “Like” or clap etc
Step 2b. Ignore and move on. Repeat.
The key for me is to try and follow a few people who always have something worthwhile / thought-provoking to share – like you – and to leave a comment. I’ll miss some good writing, but with the volume, it’s impossible to read everything.
And I never mass tag!
We are kindred spirits, dear Jeff. I count myself very lucky for that.
Thank you for writing about this, Kimberly. I had not even realized tagging had grown to that magnitude on LinkedIn, although, I agree – I have seen it has been making a difference to those wanting to be heard. I am like you, I start feeling obliged. With BizCatalyst posts I know there is always som good stuff, so I read what peeks my interest – with or without tagging – like this great post of yours.
I tag a few people on selected posts without any expectation that they will comment or read. When I do, I feel there should be an automated question on LinkedIn I could send: ‘Would you like to be tagged when I post an article that could be of interest to you?’
What is a shame is that being heard on LinkedIn is becoming more difficult. In that it follows suite to many other social media platforms.
I love the idea of the automated question, Maria! That’s brilliant! I think BizCat has given me an out from the Linkedin noise because all the writers I most enjoy have found their way there. At the same time, that also means I’m not discovering the hidden gems I once was. Luckily Dennis is so gifted at attracting a wide variety of voices.
Wow… this totally resonates with me, Kimberly. I’m there with you on the overflowing LI notifications. I can’t keep up with the mass tags and, frankly, after a certain point, I give up knowing that I’m missing some of the stuff I really want to read. I know that there are some folks out there who tag me because they know it’s a post I’ll love or they are asking me to weigh in. Sadly, those get buried in all the other mass notifications from people I may not even know.
Someone in my network reached out to me via email recently asking if I was okay. I responded that I was but wondered why she asked. She replied that she had tagged me and then sent a follow-up LI message and I never responded. I went to LI and cleaned things out. Of more than 100 notifications, only 4 were directed to me purposefully by a connection who knows me and my work. The rest were mass tags or comments on those mass tags. It’s insane.
Like you, I have my own rules for tagging and rarely tag my own work with more than a few folks who I know will appreciate or have value to add. I also rarely message a bunch of people asking for shares on my work. That said, there is has to be a happy medium in there somewhere so as not to drown in the mass tags and miss the intentional ones. Thank you for bringing to to light and sharing an honest voice. I’m interested to see how others feel about this.
4 out of 100? Holy smokes, that is insane! It sounds about right. I’m impressed that you counted! LOL! I so agree, Melissa, the intentional tags that are meaningful get lost in the noise of the mass tags, which I find incredibly frustrating. Remember, about 8 months ago or so, when there was something wrong with Linkedin’s tagging and there were a lot of people who couldn’t be tagged? Well, for whatever reason, I was one of those people. It was GLORIOUS! It was like a return-to-Linkedin-of-old! I agree, there’s a balance to be struck. I think that this community can find a new way to support and lift up one another and perhaps model a way forward. I’ve some ideas around that and I hope others are formulating their own. It’s the “so what, now what?” thing that needs to happen. Hugs to you, friend! Every time I “see” you, it makes my world better.
Grateful you have created such a safe space that we can say the hard and scary things, Dennis. That’s the only way we’ll tackle anything!
Bravo, Kimberly for bravely setting the stage with eloquence for such a fundamental, albeit uniquely sensitive & challenging issue. Let’s swap the time & distraction spent “tagging” with more time & action spent “tackling” those harder issues faced by so many …