I continue to learn a lot about how to work the levers of social media simply by watching the master at work. I’m talking about Spencer X. Smith, and the many techniques and posting styles he uses to fill his feeds. Here’s one of his savviest: 
Seriously, the dude does not quit—and hasn’t met a name he couldn’t drop. This simple picture says a heck of a lot more than the few accompanying words attached to it.
Here’s how I break it down:
A. Here I am, Spencer, at a major ‘thought leaderish’ event. Since, I’m attending, that makes me a ‘thought leader’.
B. I legitimately praise the speaker, mentioning that I am a longtime reader of one of the world’s leading publications for startups and agility-oriented companies. Once again, that implies that I am a citizen of the Fast Company startup and agility-oriented business universe.
C. I’m happily promoting the multi-day conference on day one, thereby making this a valuable promotional shoutout for the conference #WITreps.
D. The name pile-on at the end? That’s a bunch of folks I met at the conference who might like (literally) any number of things about this photos, such as:
A. I liked because I attended the same event
B. I liked the keynote
C. I like Alan Webber
D. I like Fast Company magazine
E. I am a citizen of the FC business universe (just like Spencer, whom I am am now tacitly endorsing)
F. I like that Spencer gave me/people I recognize or follow a shoutout for being a ‘thought leader’
G. I like seeing myself (and others I recognize or follow) recognized for any reason
H. Spencer always likes my posts, and I reciprocate right back
And the list could go on for a lot longer. 21 people (including Spencer) are mentioned in that post, and it already received 23 likes within the first three hours—and while the conference was still in session. Now that’s not Kim Kardashian-level liking, but then Spencer’s no KK (sorry dude, truth hurts). But it’s pretty good for under 3 hours on LinkedIn, especially given the subject matter.
Minimal effort. Maximal effect.
So how much time did it take Spencer to get, process and post this to LinkedIn? I’m guessing minutes—maybe 10 at most. And yet the networking and personal-brand promoting effect of those ten minutes is surely worth far more.
Spencer effectively promoted:
1. The speaker
2. The conference and its organizers
3. All the conference’s sponsors
4. The attendees
5. The topic
6. The city of Madison as a top-tier innovation center
7. And only after all that, himself.
That is what I call an ‘unselfish selfie,’ and as Spencer points out in his recent In Business column, it’s one of the easiest ways to fill your feeds with sharing, value and laser-focused, relevant promotion. If you ask me, that’s doing social—smart.
– D.P. Knudten > Chief Collaborator > COLLABORATOR creative
©2017 D.P. Knudten / COLLABORATOR creative – all rights reserved
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D.P. Knudten, the Chief Collaborator at COLLABORATOR creative, is a ~25-year veteran in advertising and marketing. Providing everything from freelance copywriting; content marketing strategy, creation, execution; and his NonFiction Branding™ system, D.P. collaborates creatively to identify, craft, and tell the true brand stories of complicated products, services, and companies throughout the United States.
