When it comes to outsourcing, I truly believe that you should…
“Outsource the tasks, not your voice.”
Sadly, it took a blog post, a virtual tongue lashing over Twitter and comments defending myself on someone else’s blog to get to this six word sound bite.
My problem is that I tend to clarify my ideas through consensus. In other words, I speak my thoughts out loud, hear other people’s viewpoints, then come up with my final thought (typically a sound bite).
While this may work in a brainstorm session in the privacy of your office with trusted advisors and peers, it’s a lousy strategy in social media.
In February 2009 after watching Devil Wears Prada, I blogged that outsourcing social media is wrong. Then, a few days later, I attended a conference and said in one of the sessions that I see nothing wrong with someone ghostwriting my blog posts (um, didn’t I say outsourcing social media is wrong).
Dave Fleet, who facilitated the session, blogged my points then noted that I seemed to contradict myself on a blog post I wrote just a few days before.
I tried to clarify my viewpoint in the comments area and on Twitter, but ended up contradicting my previous points. The more I tried to clarify my thoughts, the deeper the hole got. I was now on the defensive, trying to block my own words from striking back at me.
I finally went back to my original blog post, added an update and that’s when I came up with the sound bite you see above.
What a nightmare!
The Rick Perry speech and my experience saying one thing, arguing another, then finally settling on my point is a great example as to why sound bites are an important storytelling tool.
Sound Bites Make You More Memorable
I was memorable for all the wrong reasons. I was remembered at that session for sparking a spirited debate. I was also remembered for flip flopping – one minute saying don’t outsource social media stuff, the next saying it’s okay to do so.
Once I figured out that outsourcing the writing of your blog post without your input is wrong while hiring someone to push the Publish button on your blog is okay, that’s when my winning sound bite was developed.
Had I had a few trusted peers who I could’ve shared my thoughts with offline, I would’ve avoided looking like a flip flop on Twitter, on my blog and on another person’s blog.
Sound Bites Simplify Your Story
People’s attention spans are short. So, your message needs to be quick, but memorable. It also needs to be clear. If you communicate a confusing, complicated story, people will tune you out. In his article called In Praise of the Sound Bite, Carmine Gallo states that the simplest phrase is the most profound. He cites famous quotes, such as “Give me liberty or give me death,” and “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” as examples of simple, memorable phrases.
Sound Bites Makes You More Sought Out
In this article called Why Sound Bite are So Important, the media is short on time. Experts who can give journalists a pithy, succinct quotes in less than 10-words will be sought after time and time again.
Olivia Chow, widow of the late Jack Layton, told a Globe & Mail journalist that she and Jack would create sound bites for fun. The next day, they’d both watch the 6pm news to see whose sound bite would make it on air. Olivia said that hers made it to air the majority of time because her sound bites were no more than 9 or 10 words. Jack’s sound bites were more verbose – 13 to 14 words.
What are some of other reasons sound bites are a useful storytelling tool?
