Page 39 - Barbecue News April 2020 Issue

social bbq
Old School Social Media
Vic Clevenger
Chimney Cartel
victor0568@gmail.com
In today’s climate the term “social media” has infiltrated our everyday language in a way no one could have pre- dicted. Almost everyone you know has some kind of so- cial media account in which they post or at least check out on a daily basis. Facebook is by far the most popular but was basically started by a couple guys in college as a way to connect with each other. We are all familiar with Twitter which was a way we could “connect” with our fa- vorite celebrity who, at one time handled their own ac- counts. With the growth of Instagram we developed the Instagram Influencer. These folks get paid by brands to post pictures on their IG because they have developed a significant following.
A recent article I read reported that well over half of busi- nesses will be doing their marketing on LinkedIn by 2021. That’s only a year from now. YouTube with Malcom Reed has been dominating in the BBQ world, Snap Chat, an- other kids’ thing which adults are finding and using. This list could go on and on about all the different ways peo- ple are using a variation of this phenomenon. Another ar- ticle lists 21 of the top social media platforms. There’s 21? No, that just the top 21. There’s no way I can keep up with all of that.
Entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, known simply as “Gary V” has been a huge proponent of businesses getting on the social media band wagon. He has even gone as far as say- ing LinkedIn and TikTok, which is seeing a renewed growth, should be the primary places businesses should be active. By the way, TikTok has been primarily domi- nated by kids (although this is changing rapidly) much like Facebook once upon a time, who are dancing, lip- syncing and generally having fun. But more and more are uploading videos of cooking along with other skills.
I remember a time when my social media was summers riding my bicycle through the neighborhood to my buddy’s house to hear how his vacation to Myrtle Beach went. No need for pictures, you just listened briefly then went to play baseball with the others enjoying being on summer break. Do you remember letters from home when
you went away to summer camp? Then just like that sum- mer was over and back to school we went. The place where social was emphasized and media was when the teacher rolled the TV in on that giant cart with VCR was attached. Of course, I’m so old I remember the projector with the film rolls and watching the teacher try to wind it around all the wheels.
It was during this we would pass notes folded into triangle which resembled a folded flag but we called it a football. Then how nervous we were to send one of these to the per- son we “liked” with the question, “Do you like me? Check YES NO or MAYBE.” Hoping to find the response in our locker between classes. Did your class ever have a “pen pal” class in another region or country? Football games on Fri- day night where we could let our hair down and be as social as we wanted with our friends. Looking back, we were a very social group.
Looking back over these days of yore is perhaps why so many of us enjoy competing in BBQ. I know we enjoy the thrill of winning or at least the chance at it because if we didn’t then the agony of defeat wouldn’t bother us as much. I think however, one of the primary draws to food sport, specifically, BBQ and grilling, is the camaraderie we have with one another at the different events. Collaborating on cooks, recipes and being sounding boards of new ideas have all happened at these social gatherings. Some of our best friends are ones we hang out with under a 10x10 ez-up tent not just at the comps, but we text and add each other on the social media platform common to each other.
The days of passing notes in class and rotary phones are well behind us having been replaced with smart phones equipped with more social media apps than we can possibly handle. However, let’s not replace the “social” that comes with BBQ. The laughter and fun we have sitting around a makeshift campfire. The neighborly attitude of “come on in and stay a spell” from tent to tent continues during con- tests. Although, from a business and professional aspect, we need the social media platforms, let’s keep the social in our BBQ.
APRIL 2020
BarbecueNews.com - 39