The Funny Thing About Content Sharing

Over at her blog, PR pro Kellye Crane shares why she doesn’t like the content sharing platform Triberr. It’s an alternate view to ones shared by Gini Dietrich and Shonali Burke. It’s an interesting read, and offers some good points on why it’s not for folks like Kellye.
However, there’s one thing that stands out in both the post and some of the comments – the (perceived) misunderstanding that Triberr is an evil thing that takes away transparency and authenticity, and makes social media less social.
Because tools don’t take away anything – people do.
Triberr – much like anything that automates your social media streams – has a bunch of options that allows you to curate how you feed blog posts into your Twitter stream. This means you can automatically share people you would anyway, or have a manual setting to moderate before you curate. You can also delete posts you don’t feel are useful to your followers.
So, basically, any annoyance someone has with Triberr – or similar tools – is really an annoyance with the person and how they’re sharing content.
But then that’s where the funny thing about content sharing comes in.
It’s primarily about the content you enjoyed.
That’s why you share – because you enjoyed it, and feel it deserves a wider audience. That’s not to say that your followers or connections will enjoy it too. You hope they will, but they might think you’ve lost your marbles for sharing something that is banal (to them).
But that doesn’t really matter. Because you enjoyed it, and your share is a thank you to the writer, not your connections.
So with that in mind, is any kind of sharing – automated or otherwise – less authentic or social because someone doesn’t like how it’s being shared?
Or are we missing the point on content sharing a little, and thinking it should always be for our benefit, when it’s simply because someone enjoyed something someone else wrote?
image: Azrasta
Hello Danny,
To be honest, how many people does RT posts without reading them from top to the end. Too many. I think it's much worse than using Triberr.
I believe Triberr is quite good. You join the tribe with people of same interest and with those you have already connected with. So, why not help a little bit and share their posts with the world?!
Of course, all other tweets are those that we choose to share.
Plus, we get some additional traffic because of the Triberr.
Just to be honest Danny, I don't like Tribrr. In order to share content, I think it needs to (1) resontae with you (2) resonate with your followers. The only way to know for sure that content will meet this criteria is by reading yourself before sharing.
If you really read it and want to share it, the tweet button won't be far away, will it? ;)
I approach Twitter the same way that I approach my blog and that is follow me or don't follow me.I don't have time, energy or the ability to try to tailor everything I do to fit the diverse needs of my followers. That doesn't mean that I don't value or respect them because I do. I just fight my battles differently.
I build my community around me. Those that follow me closely find value in what is shared. Sometimes that will be business related and sometimes it will be something about being a father or a story about college.
It varies and that is how it works best for me. And have to do what lights my fire and fuels my passion because people respond to that.
Really, some of this stuff makes me roll my eyes because there is a tipping point. I can't make everyone happy- there are just too many people.
I like to read everything I share on Twitter. I automate tweets using Buffer and Hootsuite so I make sure that I space the tweets out, or so that my tweets aren't all going out late at night Pacific time (when I'm typically reading, but fewer people are online).
When I decide to share something, I do it because I find it interesting and I hope others will too. I think of myself as a marketer for that blogger, so I do my best to ensure that the tweet gets read and clicked.
I simply use the tools that are available to me to accomplish that. Everyone gets to choose their own content sharing strategy, so I don't make any judgments about the tools others decide to use. If I like the content, I'll probably end up sharing it too, whether it came through Triberr, Twitterfeed, or any other automation tool! :-)
Danny,
As always you said it...but the comments above, well they nailed it, for the most part.
I'm new, Twitter was my big hurdle, Buffer app really made Twitter something I could get a handle on. (I felt like #1 a completely new language in an already foreign land and #2 be able to keep up and stay in the conversations WHILE doing my part and contributing)
Triberr, I think for me (and probably many others)is another learning curve. Bla bla bla, yes, we get it- you have to be trustworthy. Take the time to read it. There's your (anyone's) solution. Take your tribe-tweets off manual, and add them once you read them (if, of course, they are appropriate- for others even, if not you)
It is only a learning curve, and I am the first to admit, I learn much slower without someone (in the flesh) showing me. But. I know for a fact, because I waited so long to be invited and finally be part of Triberr, that each time folks speak up and out to Dan and Dino, they are already working on it or tickled their creativity-bone enough, to keep changing and improving our options. It is spankin'-shiney-new....lets hang with them and really be able to reach more folks.
As my friend, Janet Callaway said (and she says things so well!), (I was going to copy what piece I wanted to share, but it was her whole dang comment! LOL- go read it again!)
The gentleman, Niall said, "Just don’t see the point of services like it. I know the arguemnts in favor of it but to me it just feels like something that is being gamed. I don’t buy the whole it’s easier argument at all!" - well, bummer for you.
What I've witnessed, learned and have been part of, honesty and helping and just being trust-worthy IS the point. There are so many vastly interesting, scary-smart folks out here in the big-big world to be part of, share with and learn from that I can't imagine missing one because of not wanting to learn how to do something right.
FYI- I am as lost as anyone I've ever been called to find when it comes to Triberr... but I keep asking questions, keep searching, keep learning...and I will continue to do so until it opens up to me as Twitter has.
Finally, I don't know Mr. Al Pittampalli, but I absolutely loved what he added above. It's all about us. It isn't the tool, it's us. If there is an issue- it's our issue.
Thanks Danny. ~Amber-Lee
I rarely use any automation. My comment is more along the lines of the communication trends I see here.
If social media is a cocktail party, imagine those people who love to talk about their favorite author, articles they just read or commentators they've heard. Then there are others who are full of tales of a recent trip or what they're kids are up to. If you get locked in a corner with any of those folks for long, you may want to drive your head into the nearest door jam. BUT if you listen just a bit to each conversation, you can have some valuable takeaways--books to read; places to avoid at all cost; mental notes on who not to invite to your party...
Is social media any different? We all have information we think is worth sharing. Some of us may be better at conveying it than others (maybe we're naturals at the social media party scene.) It's up to the receiver to decide whether our information and the style in which we deliver it is of value to them.
One of my favorite things about social media is it provides me the kind of interaction I miss working at home. It's almost like having coworkers, but the beauty is, with social media, if someone's style annoys me, I can turn them off.
In my endless studying of Twitter I see a strategic value in Triberr because people will click on links shared by people they trust or finding engaging. And I have concluded clicks is where it is at because very few people are retweeting much. We all tend to see a great piece of content, post it and we are sincerely lucky if anyone retweets. Even from our dear friends. And the fact is we see so few tweets. Many of the people commenting here are active tweeters. I live on twitter. Yet I see so few of their tweets because of my feed having so many.
So if you can get your content in a tweet of more than one account you increase the chance I will see it, and thus increase the chance I will click. And if it is good, just maybe you will get a retweet. Which John Falchetto got when he tweeted this link.
I haven't read Kellye's post. But if her main platform for people to see her posts is Twitter then Triberr could be a great tool. Someone like Danny Brown probably doesn't need it as much because many people like me come here on our own either because of email alerts or we just come here. Just like I visit the Economist or the HuffPost every day.
Hey Danny, I'm fascinated at how controversial Triberr has been for us bloggers. I was "in" then "out" then undecided and am now back "in" again! As I was checking it out and changing my mind, I heard a lot of indecisive responses and read different blogs with differing opinions.
As Judy pointed out, you can't control the first tribe - the one you were invited to join and the chief may invite members you wouldn't choose to connect with. You have more control with your own tribe. In the end, for me, it comes down to trust and support. I trust the chief who invited me to make careful choices when inviting the ones who came after me. I choose carefully when building my tribes too. I invite people whose work I like and would Tweet automatically anyway.
As for my Twitter followers, I try to provide Life-theme posts. I'm going on the assumption that someone follows "Life, for instance" because this is what they expect and want to see.
To answer your question: "is any kind of sharing – automated or otherwise – less authentic or social because someone doesn’t like how it’s being shared?" I'd say no. Does it matter how I come to locate the content I share? Does it matter that I share it automatically, once I'm sure of the source? I don't think so. Hopefully anyone following me will agree!
Lori
Danny, it is true that people trust us on the basis of what we shared before, they can't read everything we share anyway, so there is no harm done if we share something we didn't read.
But what if I share a post that I would never share and it happens that someone reads it and it ruins my credibility with that person? that is what worries me, Triberr, Twitterfeed or what ever, it isn't the tool necessarily.
I completely agree with you on this one!
Good point, Brankica. I feel like I don't have the control as much and while I might love real estate bloggers, I don't know if my followers are with me because they want information about buying a home.
It's all about respecting your Twitter followers and trying to figure out what blogs will be most helpful to them.
I may be in the minority here, but that's how I feel. : )
Thanks again to Danny for starting this discussion.
I love this discussion and have been monitoring it on several blogs now. Thank you, Danny, for continuing this discussion here.
Darren
Great discussion here. Yes, Triberr is a TOOL. Good point, Danny. I dropped out mainly because I didn't want to "blanket" endorse every single post of every single person in the tribe. I felt like I should at least read it before I recommend it. Also, it seemed that someone (the chief?) was adding people I didn't know and all of a sudden I was auto-tweeting their posts. It could very well be that I just didn't understand the system. (I've been know to be tech-disabled from time to time.)
If I had know about the manual option (and shame on me because it was probably there all along), I would have chosen that. I also like adding a unique comment to the tweet to personalize it, rather than just pushing the title out.
I may need to rethink my involvement. : )
This is exactly one of the things that you can't really control. As a member of the tribe you most likely don't choose other members, so you might end up with people you have no clue who they are. It has happened to me too but I am still re-thinking my Twitter strategy.
I like Triberr and I am going to continue using it, but might switch to manual mode.
To assume that we know what our followers are in the mood to read right now is lunacy.
Also, there is no way of knowing what is relevant to a person watching your stream at this moment exactly.
I duno...when NY Times hires journalists to write for them, they curate that journalist based on his past work and they have an agreement that the journalist will continue to write good stuff. A tribal Chief has the opportunity to act like NY Times and hire only people with solid track record and promising future.
By the same token, the Chief (as well as the rest of the tribe) has powerful editorial controls over the content that gets distributed into their little corner of the universe.
This really made me think about this a different way. Thanks, Danny. I completely agree that it's all how we use the tools. If so many people are sharing links without reading them and adding commentary that it makes "the stream" feel less social, that's not an issue with Triberr, it's an issue with how people are using Triberr.
Personally, though, I DO feel a responsibility to my peeps to share things not just that I liked, but that I think are also relevant to them. Fortunately as you point out, Triberr (though I am total newbie to the tool) does give me the control of what gets posted and what doesn't.
So, let's not kick Triberr of the island, let's each find the way to use it - or not use it - that we think feels best for us and our tribes.
Thanks for continuing the discussion, Danny -- I think it's an important one.
At the risk of drawing your (additional?) ire, I think a big part of the issue is with the tense of the word "enjoyed." If everyone using Triberr only shared posts they've actually read and enjoyed (past tense), it would be a bit different. But more often, as you noted in your comment on my post, Triberr users establish a circle of trust and assume their followers will want to see every post from those people in short order.
Of course, my other complaint is with the additional volume of title-only tweets (since they're usually issued without commentary or value-add). I never stated that this lacks transparency, but the tribe multiplication effect does feel to me -- as a follower of many Triberr users -- less social.
Hello Danny,
To be honest, how many people does RT posts without reading them from top to the end. Too many. I think it's much worse than using Triberr.
I believe Triberr is quite good. You join the tribe with people of same interest and with those you have already connected with. So, why not help a little bit and share their posts with the world?!
Of course, all other tweets are those that we choose to share.
Plus, we get some additional traffic because of the Triberr.
Just to be honest Danny, I don't like Tribrr. In order to share content, I think it needs to (1) resontae with you (2) resonate with your followers. The only way to know for sure that content will meet this criteria is by reading yourself before sharing.
If you really read it and want to share it, the tweet button won't be far away, will it? ;)
I hear what you're saying, mate, but it's impossible for you to know what's going to resonate with your followers. Human emotion is so fickle, what resonates one day may grate the next.
If a blogger and his/her viewpoint resonates with me every time, I'm pretty sure they're going to resonate always (whether I agree with the topic in hand or not). And - to me - that's where sharing comes in. Automated or otherwise. :)
I approach Twitter the same way that I approach my blog and that is follow me or don't follow me.I don't have time, energy or the ability to try to tailor everything I do to fit the diverse needs of my followers. That doesn't mean that I don't value or respect them because I do. I just fight my battles differently.
I build my community around me. Those that follow me closely find value in what is shared. Sometimes that will be business related and sometimes it will be something about being a father or a story about college.
It varies and that is how it works best for me. And have to do what lights my fire and fuels my passion because people respond to that.
Really, some of this stuff makes me roll my eyes because there is a tipping point. I can't make everyone happy- there are just too many people.
Love the approach, Jack. Like you say, it's not from disrespect - if anything, it's more respectful as you're encouraging them to be somewhere they'd be much more at home.
Saves time and energy for everyone - that's a win in my book. :)
You're on a person vs. tool/industry kick lately! And you're right. The thing I love about using Triberr is I have a new tribe of bloggers I respect but aren't the same old, same old. It's forcing me to read new blogs and engage with differen people. Some outside of our industry. I love it for that.
It's all about the people, Gini. Always has been - I'm just more aware of that now, and trying to get that across in my thoughts. :)
The concern here is "will i get enough credit for my work, or i will be forgotten (or not mentioned at all) in viral storm?"
I like to read everything I share on Twitter. I automate tweets using Buffer and Hootsuite so I make sure that I space the tweets out, or so that my tweets aren't all going out late at night Pacific time (when I'm typically reading, but fewer people are online).
When I decide to share something, I do it because I find it interesting and I hope others will too. I think of myself as a marketer for that blogger, so I do my best to ensure that the tweet gets read and clicked.
I simply use the tools that are available to me to accomplish that. Everyone gets to choose their own content sharing strategy, so I don't make any judgments about the tools others decide to use. If I like the content, I'll probably end up sharing it too, whether it came through Triberr, Twitterfeed, or any other automation tool! :-)
Great call on Buffer, I've been using that a little lately and love its simplicity. :)
Like you say, there will always be someone that will miss your original share, time zone being a big factor. So automation / semi-automation plays a big part in reaching as many people as possible.
Sounds like a winner to me... ;-)
Danny,
As always you said it...but the comments above, well they nailed it, for the most part.
I'm new, Twitter was my big hurdle, Buffer app really made Twitter something I could get a handle on. (I felt like #1 a completely new language in an already foreign land and #2 be able to keep up and stay in the conversations WHILE doing my part and contributing)
Triberr, I think for me (and probably many others)is another learning curve. Bla bla bla, yes, we get it- you have to be trustworthy. Take the time to read it. There's your (anyone's) solution. Take your tribe-tweets off manual, and add them once you read them (if, of course, they are appropriate- for others even, if not you)
It is only a learning curve, and I am the first to admit, I learn much slower without someone (in the flesh) showing me. But. I know for a fact, because I waited so long to be invited and finally be part of Triberr, that each time folks speak up and out to Dan and Dino, they are already working on it or tickled their creativity-bone enough, to keep changing and improving our options. It is spankin'-shiney-new....lets hang with them and really be able to reach more folks.
As my friend, Janet Callaway said (and she says things so well!), (I was going to copy what piece I wanted to share, but it was her whole dang comment! LOL- go read it again!)
The gentleman, Niall said, "Just don’t see the point of services like it. I know the arguemnts in favor of it but to me it just feels like something that is being gamed. I don’t buy the whole it’s easier argument at all!" - well, bummer for you.
What I've witnessed, learned and have been part of, honesty and helping and just being trust-worthy IS the point. There are so many vastly interesting, scary-smart folks out here in the big-big world to be part of, share with and learn from that I can't imagine missing one because of not wanting to learn how to do something right.
FYI- I am as lost as anyone I've ever been called to find when it comes to Triberr... but I keep asking questions, keep searching, keep learning...and I will continue to do so until it opens up to me as Twitter has.
Finally, I don't know Mr. Al Pittampalli, but I absolutely loved what he added above. It's all about us. It isn't the tool, it's us. If there is an issue- it's our issue.
Thanks Danny. ~Amber-Lee
Hi Amber-Lee,
That's definitely one of Triberr's biggest plus points - the developers really listen to the feedback, and if they can implement it they usually do.
It's not a perfect system - but then again, what is? At least they're offering more control for the end user, and that's always a good pointer in doing something right. :)
I rarely use any automation. My comment is more along the lines of the communication trends I see here.
If social media is a cocktail party, imagine those people who love to talk about their favorite author, articles they just read or commentators they've heard. Then there are others who are full of tales of a recent trip or what they're kids are up to. If you get locked in a corner with any of those folks for long, you may want to drive your head into the nearest door jam. BUT if you listen just a bit to each conversation, you can have some valuable takeaways--books to read; places to avoid at all cost; mental notes on who not to invite to your party...
Is social media any different? We all have information we think is worth sharing. Some of us may be better at conveying it than others (maybe we're naturals at the social media party scene.) It's up to the receiver to decide whether our information and the style in which we deliver it is of value to them.
One of my favorite things about social media is it provides me the kind of interaction I miss working at home. It's almost like having coworkers, but the beauty is, with social media, if someone's style annoys me, I can turn them off.
And that's the key point right there, Mimi - no-one is forcing us to watch particular channels. There's always the mute or off switch - the choice really is ours. :)
Danny, as I said to you over at Kellye's.. I agree it's the person not the tool, but I see less manual and a lot more blind tweets, multiplied. Just because I read you and even if I trust you, I won't share your stuff blind. Why? It's an endorsement and what if I sent THIS post without qualifying it? Just saying. Will give you a hat tip on this: I'm guessing, assuming my followers will like or benefit from what I post or share, but I really don't know that. And for that matter, every tweet I see isn't all about me and my benefit, I should stop presuming it is. So true that, word.
We all tweet our own ways and one of mine is to tweet all manor of things that help others, I liked, just think are funny, that help a friend, and yet there are plenty of things I enjoy that I don't share. Sometimes it's b/c I just don't think it's beneficial or relevant to my followers. Believe me, my tweets aren't some highbrow elitist babble.. but I've got a 'less is more' thing that I can't shake even though I know only a fraction of tweets get seen, I just cannot turn my stream into a full-on broadcast channel.
Final thought before I find your ire or viewpoint ;-) .. automated and unsocial, IMO the Paper.li things fall squarely in that category as they have become unfiltered, unmoderated noise. And BTW I get spammed with a few each day that claim to have specific relevance to me and yet, there's nothing I've written or shared featured therein. Tool or the person using the tool, I've decided uh, No. FWIW.
I hear you on the trust factor, Davina - though I approach it slightly differently.
Like the guest post Dino did hear that saw me get a lot of negative feedback from certain quarters, because of the profanity.
Thing is, though, would you trust a blogger that allows a completely honest voice, or one that waters it down? I know which I'd prefer (and I'd also ask questions of how honest that blogger's own posts are if he/she waters something down).
So if I've invested in a blogger, they'd have to do something completely crazy to break that. Which is why I'm happy to automatically share, whether that's with Triberr, Twitterfeed or something else. :)
TEHO for sure, I know what I prefer. And you've absolutely set me straight that all tweets aren't about me (and that all my followers, my tweets aren't ALL for them). Still thinking per automation, curation .. different approaches and strategies, plus testing a few things.
In my endless studying of Twitter I see a strategic value in Triberr because people will click on links shared by people they trust or finding engaging. And I have concluded clicks is where it is at because very few people are retweeting much. We all tend to see a great piece of content, post it and we are sincerely lucky if anyone retweets. Even from our dear friends. And the fact is we see so few tweets. Many of the people commenting here are active tweeters. I live on twitter. Yet I see so few of their tweets because of my feed having so many.
So if you can get your content in a tweet of more than one account you increase the chance I will see it, and thus increase the chance I will click. And if it is good, just maybe you will get a retweet. Which John Falchetto got when he tweeted this link.
I haven't read Kellye's post. But if her main platform for people to see her posts is Twitter then Triberr could be a great tool. Someone like Danny Brown probably doesn't need it as much because many people like me come here on our own either because of email alerts or we just come here. Just like I visit the Economist or the HuffPost every day.
You know, that's a great point, Howie - I see more unique tweets as opposed to RT's.
Not sure what says about either blogging or Twitter as a whole, but must be some reasoning behind it. :)
I think it means a tool like Triberr might have more power than we think. This also affects the Influence Measurement folks like Klout. Because maybe I want to know if Danny Brown tweets something he gets me a lot of clicks vs anyone retweeting. Not sure if they can measure that. And if not major opportunity for twitter to torch them.
Totally agree Danny. Tools can't be authentic, only people can. It comes down to intent...what is the intent of the person who is operating the tool? With good intentions, tools like this can be useful...with bad ones, tools like this can be destructive. There's always a choice involved.
Great points Al! I totally agree. I also agree with what Dino had to say...
"To assume that we know what our followers are in the mood to read right now is lunacy.
Also, there is no way of knowing what is relevant to a person watching your stream at this moment exactly."
A very good post and a great reminder that we all should strive to have the best interests of our tribes at heart when tweeting.
Great points Al! I totally agree. I also agree with what Dino had to say...
"To assume that we know what our followers are in the mood to read right now is lunacy.
Also, there is no way of knowing what is relevant to a person watching your stream at this moment exactly."
A very good post and a great reminder that we all should strive to have the best interests of our tribes at heart when tweeting.
Hi, Danny.
Although my thought processes are slow when it comes to tools and software, I was very pleased when Dino sent me an invite to Triberr. I have not fully grasped what I can do with it yet (plus considering that it needs some money to really work and I am short on that as of the moment) but I can really see its advantages.
I also agree with you that the problem is not really on the tool but on the person using it. I mean, any tool no matter what it is still needs people for it to move forward, right? It does not really matter if you were sharing something you haven't read yet, but considering that it could be something that would be valuable to someone, then that is already something, at least for me.
Personally, I share posts that I believe have value for people other than myself. While I don't really know if all my followers will see the same value as I did, at least I made an effort to share posts where I learned something from. But, I also won't mind if a tool will help me share posts from my favorite bloggers because I followed them for their excellence in the first place.
Now, I must be babbling already. Showing my ineptness about the matter? :D
I think that's one of the biggest successes of Triberr so far, Kim, its ability to have "name bloggers" be part of a tribe of bloggers with less audience (currently).
It helps bring great new voices to a wider audience, and that can never be a bad thing. :)
I agree also that it all depends with how we use those tools, with the hopes of many people read, enjoy. I also frequently use social bookmarking like twitter and facebook to share content.
Hey Danny, I'm fascinated at how controversial Triberr has been for us bloggers. I was "in" then "out" then undecided and am now back "in" again! As I was checking it out and changing my mind, I heard a lot of indecisive responses and read different blogs with differing opinions.
As Judy pointed out, you can't control the first tribe - the one you were invited to join and the chief may invite members you wouldn't choose to connect with. You have more control with your own tribe. In the end, for me, it comes down to trust and support. I trust the chief who invited me to make careful choices when inviting the ones who came after me. I choose carefully when building my tribes too. I invite people whose work I like and would Tweet automatically anyway.
As for my Twitter followers, I try to provide Life-theme posts. I'm going on the assumption that someone follows "Life, for instance" because this is what they expect and want to see.
To answer your question: "is any kind of sharing – automated or otherwise – less authentic or social because someone doesn’t like how it’s being shared?" I'd say no. Does it matter how I come to locate the content I share? Does it matter that I share it automatically, once I'm sure of the source? I don't think so. Hopefully anyone following me will agree!
Lori
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