Objective

We can map any content delivery platform on this earnest-to-cynical spectrum:

• The inbox:

  • High-trust market. My guard is down.

  • Emails come from people I know, newsletters I’ve signed up for, or brands I’ve bought something from. Trust is established before senders gain entrance to the zone.

  • The exception is cold emails. An unknown sender combined with a pitch or clickbait subject line puts my guard all the way up.

• Short-form video feeds:

  • Low-trust markets. My guard is up.

  • This is an extreme barker market. Earnest content doesn’t always get a fair look. Like Grant said, “I want something a little lower commitment.”

  • Trust is established by the hook, by the barker’s ability to sell.

• YouTube:

  • Low-trust market.

  • The metagame here is about optimizing titles and thumbnails. This culture of optimization has transformed what used to be a high-trust market.

• LinkedIn:

  • Low-trust market.

  • People are there to talk their book, to raise the profiles — even when they’re sharing truly useful, earnest information.

  • However, I have become a more earnest LinkedIn consumer over time. I don’t think I’ll truly shift, but especially as I’ve become a more frequent poster, I have a better palate here. It’s easier to tell when a seemingly cynical hook, for example, is genuine.

• Twitter:

  • Low-trust market.

  • It’s the most cynical market listed here. There are people whose posts I take at face value, but the platform incentivizes cynicism; thoughtful, earnest posts rarely run up the numbers.

Subjective

Contexts

• #social-media-landscape