I’ve noticed a rise in what I call “Fortune Cookie Bloggers”, essentially so-called Social Media Experts whose blogs read more like fortune cookies rather than anything with any real insight. Their posts tend to all share the same qualities - they’re vague, safe and forgettable.

These bloggers never say anything concrete, don’t take sides, and they start artificial conversations using Yoda-esque happy-talk. Just as a fortune cookie might tell you that patience is a virtue, or that true happiness is enjoying friends’ company (add the words, “in bed” as you wish), fortune cookie bloggers also say things of little to no usable value. Typical advice usually includes phrases like “build your online brand” and “engage your community” without once offering any details about how to do so.

The best bloggers not only say all the ra-ra Yoda-eque stuff, but they also bring up points of discussion and, most importantly, their opinion. What use is a blog if all it does is rehash old ideas and never takes a stance of its own? Without an opinion, a blog merely becomes a glorified book report.

But despite their empty talk, fortune cookie bloggers do attract a lot of visitors. I think it’s because their posts are bite-sized, and sound important, just like fortune cookies. The big difference here is that a fortune cookie doesn’t pass itself off as an expert or Confucius. You know going in that the cookie is just that, a cookie. You would never base your life nor your online strategy on it. When an online expert writes posts that come off as gospel and just lets their followers pull whatever random meanings they want out of them, I consider that reckless. Just like a fortune-teller, anyone can speak in generalities that have an air of importance. And just like a fortune-teller, they sometimes can do more harm than good. Fortune Cookie Bloggers fool a lot of people into thinking that they’re true authorities and can cause a followers to go down the wrong path and lose online credibility.

My take on social media terms

Unlike a fortune cookie blogger, I’ll actually attempt to define some of the terms being thrown around the blogosphere.

• Your online brand
  For the majority of people online, an online brand consists of two components: brand qualities and brand promises. Brand qualities are essentially the personality traits you’re trying to convey about yourself to your audience, like your reputation, etc. (whether you’re honest about your true personality is a different story). Your brand promise, on the other hand, is basically what you will deliver to your clients, or your mission statement, or your raison d’être.


• Engaging the community
  I’ve always found it funny, the way some people make this concept sound complicated. For me it’s simple. Engaging the community is essentially making friends, contacts and connections that, in the end, you can benefit from. It’s definitely not about how you can increase your Twitistics, which usually are just mind-candy.

So I implore all the “Social Media Experts” out there that when you post something and it sounds like a fortune cookie, stop. If someone cannot take what you’ve written and actually do something tangible with it today, stop. Doing so does nothing to build your online reputation as a social media expert and would be a waste of everyone’s time.

Do you know of any Fortune Cookie Bloggers? If so, what advice would you them?

Oh, by the way, according to Foodimentary (@foodimentary) fortune cookies don’t come from Asia, they’re an American invention. Just thought I’d share.