To tag or not to tag? Finding and nurturing our flock 🗣️
Whether to tag connections in posts or comments or not at all, and thoughts on why 'flock' is better than 'tribe' for a like-minded social community. (audio; 3:10)
Over the years, I’ve heard people talk online about “finding their tribe”. Seeing it flagged as insensitive (biased) motivated me to look for alternative words. ‘Flock’ is the best one I’ve identified so far.
A fresh reaction today on a 5-year-old comment I made on Cory Warfield’s LinkedIn post brought this back to my attention. Here are two pieces of Cory’s advice to people wanting to get more views on LinkedIn:
“I also believe that finding your flock (not tribe) can level up your life & humanity. … A tribe has a chief & rivals. A flock are likeminded & prioritize each others’ well being. Use #hashtags & engage with those likeminded”
“Tag lots of people in your comments (IMPERATIVE).”
The first point clicked immediately for me, on why ‘flock’ is a better term for a social community (like the ones we’re building here on Substack). It also fits well with a post I made in April about geese and how they work together for the good of the flock. So I’m all in on this one.
The second point puzzled me a bit. Sure, tagging more people would likely draw attention and boost post views (the stated goal). But overdoing it could annoy people and impair a flock’s sense of likemindedness and well-being.
Five years ago, my comment on the post was:
“Cory, I just gave a panel talk on Friday referring to tribes, but I like your flock analogy much better, and will adopt that term going forward.
May I ask why you advise to "Tag lots of people in your comments (IMPERATIVE)"? I am hesitant to tag people unless they are *directly* involved in what I write about. My experience is that not everyone welcomes being tagged, and I've even seen some influencers write about their objections to being tagged. When do you recommend tagging people in the post vs. in additional comments? Can you suggest some guidelines for selecting and tagging people who aren't directly involved in a post? Thanks!”
It drew 4 likes but no replies, and I let it drop then. It’s been 5 years, and this isn’t LinkedIn. I’d like to get a sense of what Substack writers and readers think now about tagging your ‘flock’ or others in posts or comments.
To tag or not to tag, why or when?
Please like, restack, and share to help this poll gain a more diverse and more representative set of views!
Can you suggest other words that might be even better than flock for a community of like-minded Substackers?
