In his book Disciplined Minds, Jeff Schmidt argues that professionals are actually less creative and diverse in their opinions than amateurs. He attributes this to indoctrination through most professional training. To be sure, raw content can open our eyes to what is compelling and informative in our world just as much as professional content. Yes, it is often of lesser quality, but that does not take away from its ability to entertain and educate us. What such work often lacks in polish, it can make up for in charm and exuberance. To quote Chris Anderson’s blog,The Long Tail, “I’ll take a passionate amateur over a bored professional any day.”
Passion and enthusiasm can override quality in marketing, it’s true. To avoid this, professional marketers must learn from amateurs. While professionals have training, budget and experience behind them, amateurs tend to win the race in the following areas:
Big, established marketing firms got to the top through years of careful planning. Often, these marketers can plan out a campaign better than anyone else. But they lack agility. In the digital era, rapid response is key. Passionate amateurs are not bound by bureaucracy, and they don’t feel the need to stick to a plan made months ago. Instead, they create content that fits the moment, and they adapt their work as what’s popular changes. While many professionals still struggle to adapt to data-driven strategies, successful amateurs have already absorbed this lesson from their digital interactions: keep doing what works.
Even as they replicate successful strategies, amateurs are more adaptable. When a new social network opens, they explore it long before the professionals, and if it is not a useful platform, they step out again without sinking large amounts of time or money into the endeavor. Amateurs keep their strategy agile. Without years of training in “best practices,” they are not closed-minded to new ideas, and they are willing to let go of methods that no longer reap rewards.
Sometimes, as polished as it is, professional content can sometimes feel phony. Think of commercials that awkwardly try to connect with audiences through the use of hashtags or text message abbreviations that have no relation to how people actually use those terms. These marketing messages seem to be written by committee, and they can alienate the very audience they mean to reach. The best amateur content incorporates relatable elements into its very DNA. Instead of feeling forced, this content feels natural.
To be successful in the long run, professionals need to recognize the polish and experience that they bring to the table, and be willing to improve in areas where they do not yet lead. What do you think? Can professionals in fact learn a thing or two from amateurs?
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