Be a coyote, not a cicada

The next time you find yourself surrounded by a million or so cicadas, try listening to one at a time. Difficult, right? That's how I feel when I'm scanning LinkedIn and other social media outlets. So many voices, so much noise and such extreme uniformity ... how can anyone stand out?

Don't be a cicada. Be a cricket or a katydid or — here's a local favorite of mine — a shrieking spring peeper frog. Or even better, be a coyote. Their calls, even during a cicada invasion, will get your attention. (If you have a dog, play the linked coyote calls and watch).

To be a coyote in a forest full of cicadas, approach posts from a different direction. One example: Try to avoid starting with standard phrases like “extremely grateful,” “inspired,” “happy to share,” “had the honor of,” et al. That kind of language, though true, will get crushed by the cacophony.

Let’s say I'm starting a new gig at Google. (They haven't offered, yet). Instead of saying "excited to share," which appears as often as there are cicadas in this world, maybe I say something like: If I asked you to name the first company that comes to mind when I say "internet," I’m thinking you’d say "Google." You’d be right, and as its new King of Content, I’ll be doing my best to help some very smart people create equally smart messaging. I can't even explain how much my adrenaline is spiking at the moment."

I'm not saying this is THE way to do things. I'm just poking around for something different. The theory is to somehow find a new angle of attack, maybe by making it about the benefits of the company you’re joining ... while, yes, promoting yourself, but in stealth mode.

One more example: Instead of saying “congrats” when somebody did something cool, focus more on what they did right from the git-go. Consider this post from Southwest Airlines: "Congrats to the Southwest Airlines 2024 President’s Award recipients! This year, we’re honoring 227 President’s Award Recipients from across our network for their consistent high performance, authentic contributions, and demonstration of our Company Values. Thank you for everything you do for our Company, People, and Customers. Cheers!"?

That's cicada talk. Here’s what I came up with (I like using a subbed lead-in when possible as a grabber): “Great work by great people: Southwest Airlines’ President’s Award, our highest individual honor, this year went to 227 employees who demonstrated consistent high performance and a dedication to making life better for our customers and stakeholders.” BUT ... if I'm doing social for Southwest, I'm kicking that post back to get some examples of what these people did, so we can show rather than say.

Thoughts?

I'm extremely grateful and excited to say I'll be seeing you next Thursday.