Do social networks encourage coworkers, friends, and family to brag about their accomplishments? While it’s probably true that social networks do encourage some bragging, I’d argue that “sharing positive news about yourself” isn’t limited to social networks.
Even without social networks, we’d still find some way to put our best foot forward — in conversation, email, TPS reports, and even on blogs like this. It’s just human nature to want to make yourself look good to others — heck, it may even be Darwinian — but we realize that still doesn’t make it right.
We’d never stoop to blatant self-promotion.
For example, when Forrester Research recently reassessed the ESN industry for both Social Platforms and Activity Streams, we tastefully posted:
And when Info-Tech Research Group named tibbr the category Champion, Innovator, and Best Value, we casually shared it:
Naturally, when Forrester Consulting published the results of their six-month study examining the ROI of tibbr, we took the high-road:
Forrester shows tibbr ROI in FIVE areas!!! #justsaying #humblebrag
And when our tablet app was awarded “Best IT/Business Tool” in the 2013 “Tabby” awards, we barely mentioned our victory:
tibbr Mobile just took home a Tabby! #meow #winning #notacat
Of course, after tibbr was awarded the 2013 Global Growth Excellence Leadership Award in Enterprise Social Networking, we again kept it chill:
Frost & Sullivan recognizes our 333% growth! #blowingup #tibbrbeingtibbr
And after all that, when both CMSwire and ComputerWorld covered our Microsoft SharePoint/Outlook integration, we really tried to downplay it:
tibbr integration, another step towards World Peace! #oneworld #oneplatform
It’s all about showing some self-restraint.
Regardless of the medium — whether its conversation, blogs, or social networks — people are always want to share good news with others. But as I think we’ve just shown, it doesn’t have to be obvious or obnoxious.
The key is not overdoing it because, after all, nobody likes a braggart.
