In a recent post, Zee, Editor of The Next Web, cautions against using third party, Twitter media sharing services due to the potential risks of loss of control over your personal branding.
His overall message is important: find and use a platform that you can own and control your media as hosted.
However, what Zee intones can largely be seen as true, it overlooks and discounts the disposable behavioral dispositions for many people who actually “choose” to post multi media they consider disposable, ephemeral, and of the moment: “pop.”
Come on, Zee. When wasn’t the last time you saw a Guy Kawasaki photo-op of him standing next to his latest conference host? Personal brand value? Ok, so this means he’s human and can take those in the moment shots. But do I want to consume this as part of “the magic” of Guy Kawasaki? No, its just a momentary reference image to codify an event.
Not all information needs to be owned or even wanted by a user. Just ask any teenager with a cell phone, or look at your own travel pics of the Cinque Terra. (No disrespect nor offense meant, Zee. They were nice and showed how sweet and human you were, but I’m sure a host of other people just want to follow you for you marketing and social media insights. They’ve seen a gazillion pics of Italy’s famed coast and harbor.)
The coastal harbor pictures or the sky pics were in the moment.
A cup of cafe: in the moment. Why not just share them on Twitpic or any other third party app?
Information that is not a “keepsake” nor of positive brand value is quickly used as referential media- to connect with and to share with others about an immediate experience. This kind of disposable media does not necessarily have to “owned” nor even wanted by the user who considers its value trivial since its in the moment (e.g.; a coffee picture in any cafe while at a conference) and thus of little or no “personal brand value” to a user other than to say “I was here.”
I still think and find Twitpic and other third party media services to hold much value as media intermediaries and repositories for such disposable information.
The beautiful and value added media I reserve for my blogs. This higher quality information is what for my followers, fans, etc. truly appreciate in poignancy, relevancy and quality.
Why not post the detritus of the moment to and thru these other services as errant comments, rants, giggles and fancies caught in one’s eye?
For more, read the full post, “Why you should NOT be using TwitPic, TwitVideo or any other Twitter media sharing service.”
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Amos White is an Social Media Marketing Evangelist and public speaker.
Follow Amos on Twitter @Mos42
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