Advice that Doesn’t Work

I think we’ve all experienced a dilemma so overwhelming that we’ve turned to others for advice. Some people are fortunate enough to have knowledgeable or trusted people in their lives to assist with answers. The luckiest of people have both. But sometimes our tried-and-true resources aren’t enough. They may not be able or available to give advice. Or maybe for some reason, you do not want to share with your usual support panel. Still, for others, they may not have anyone in this category. In those times, we may turn to “experts” or the internet for answers. This isn’t always a bad thing, but can be tricky and risky. So, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Vet any source of information. Ask others who are trusted and knowledgeable if the source is trustworthy and for referrals. Read reviews and others who have used the source. Look at education and experience.

I’m a pantser. Every now and then I like to pretend I can be a plotter and give outlining a go. To do so, I frequently need a refresher course in plotting. Now, it would make sense that I would review the information that I’ve used in the past, and I do. However, times change. The information I used previously may not be as relevant. (For example, the use of periods in abbreviations has changed—PhD is not acceptable when Ph.D. used to be the only correct way.) Thus, it’s beneficial to use current sources. Since the topic was plotting, I didn’t think the information would vary a lot from source to source. It’s all pretty basic. However, after watching one video, I had to pause. As the creator said something that I knew not to be factual—at least, not in all cases. And in the past, generally when I heard statements as such it was from persons who had little to no experience in the area. Sure enough, when I checked, this person had zero experience. It was fine for me because I knew it was incorrect. But people who don’t know may accept what was said as factual. You don’t know what you don’t know.

Look at who else is using the source. This information can be extremely revealing.

A previous coworker was notorious for spreading misinformation on just about every subject under the sun. Most recently, she fell for a joke and said that this year Halloween would fall on Friday the 13th. It took me nearly thirty minutes to get her to understand that since Halloween always occurred on October 31, it couldn’t be on the 13th. I’m constantly telling her to check the credibility of her sources, but she doesn’t because she wants to believe what these sources say. It reaffirms what she wants to hear. For example, she doesn’t celebrate Halloween. She thinks it’s evil and Satan’s holiday. She wants to believe the worst. Thus, anything negative said about it supports her narrative. Now, she is free to believe whatever she wants. I have no problem with that. To each his/her own. The issue is when she comes to work and attempts to spread the misinformation. She had other coworkers who weren’t necessarily the brightest color in the box nodding and agreeing. It was madness. It would have been hilarious if she’d gotten the joke, but she was serious.

Ask questions. I call this do the math. Some people say that numbers don’t lie. But numbers can be manipulated in a way that they tell a lie or, at least, present a false narrative.

Now, take this example for what it’s worth because there are several ways to view it. This pertains to social media followers. An “expert” arguing against the “follow for follow” trend. He made some excellent points. However, the one that didn’t hold for me was the ratio of following only 10% of total followers. His argument was that a higher percentage of follow-to-follow rate would lower a person’s views in the algorithm. He may be correct about that. I don’t know and can’t argue one way or the other. But consider this. Most people posting on social media are there for the engagement. They are creating content for others. When I follow someone, I’m interested in their content. I would hope they would be interested in mine. Why? Ever have a conversation where only one person talks? Well, that’s not much of a conversation. In fact, many people call that a lecture. Sometimes, that’s all a person wants—for someone to give them information or entertainment. That’s why people go to movies or read books. But a lot of social media is different. People want to make social friendships. I’ll be the first to admit that I have made some of my closest sports friends through internet sports groups. We first got to know each other through forum posting, and then, when we realized we’d be at the same games, we would find each other tailgates. I have maintained many of those friendships for over fifteen years. But that would have never happened if “following” had only been one-way.

Understand that if it’s advice for advancement and it’s coming from a public source, the chance is the information isn’t going to have much value. Usually, the creator gives just enough information to keep the consumer coming back but does not divulge trade secrets.

I’m not a marketing whiz by any means. In college, I only took two business courses, and they didn’t have anything to do with marketing. So, when I found myself needing to promote my books and develop a marketing strategy, I headed to the library, bookstores, and the internet for resources. The majority of what I found was repeated, generic information that most people could figure out on their own. For example, who doesn’t know social media is where most people get their information these days? Yet, this was the advice—join social media and make engaging content. How about defining engaging? Or what about breaking down demographics. Yes, I know my target audience, but what platforms do they use the most? What hashtags work? I quickly learned that the answers to many of the questions I wanted to know were purposefully being evaded.

Once information is made public, it usually stops working.

On TikTok, there was a trend to use #teamwork to gain followers. Millions of people jumped on this trend, and people’s follows were going up. Well, this created an imbalance in the algorithm. So, people began complaining that they were being shadow-banned. Shadow banning is when videos or content is suppressed from allowing others to view them. It’s no different when someone leaks a coupon code to the internet. The first people that see it will be able to use it. Eventually, the company will notice and block it. This is with most things. Once what works is put out there, something goes into place to make it irrelevant. Think about car speed detectors. Those were the rage at one point. Each time a speed detector hit the market, the police speed detectors would be upgraded to make them harder to detect. Then the personal speed detectors would be upgraded to meet this change. It was a constant chase for an unwinnable race. Why was it unwinnable? The people designing the detectors for law enforcement were also the same people who created the detectors sold in stores to detect those detectors. It’s smart because the designers are getting paid on both ends.

There’s no shame in admitting you’ve received bad advice. Give yourself grace. You don’t have to keep using it if you do. Learn what you can from it and move on.

Sometimes, we have to take hard lessons on the chin. They may even knock us down and drag us for a bit. But it doesn’t mean we’re bound to remain down or that we can’t change direction. I remember wanting to resign a job. I had many people in my ear telling me it was a bad idea and to wait it out because it would get better. But it didn’t get better, and needless time was wasted. Although, deep down, I knew this was bad advice, I stuck with it because I allowed fear to get the best of me.

Advice that didn’t work the first time should be given a second chance or tweaked before abandoning it. However, there comes a point when enough is enough.

I had a strange thing happen with my phone. The screen with black. It’s a touch screen; so, when it blacked out, I was unable to use it. One would think there’d be a button on the side to adjust light, as there’s a button on the side to adjust sound. But there wasn’t. For several hours, I was attempting to resolve the problem. I searched all over the internet for solutions. The very first piece of advice didn’t work. However, later, I was inside a business and a call came. In the dimness of the store lightening, I was able to see the faint outline of icons on my screen. It was enough to allow me to reattempt the first piece of advice. This time it worked. The advice wasn’t bad or incorrect. I had applied it under the wrong conditions.

That’s all a wrap. Was this post helpful? Do you think you’ll ever visit? Have you visited there? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. If you like this post, please click the like button and share. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read.

If Brokeback Mountain, 8 Seconds, Poltergeist, and Supernatural had an orgy, Demon Rodeo would be the lovechild.

Demon Rodeo is available now on Amazon. For video book trailers, visit my TikTok page. The full blurb is on my Instagram and Amazon.

Demon Rodeo is the first book in the Chasing the Buckle series but can be read as a standalone. It’s a friends-to-lovers romance set in the rodeo world. These are not your typical cowboys. It’s a widely diverse cast of characters and a mashup of genres that aren’t always seen together. If you’re looking for a palate cleanser, this may be a book for you.

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Until next time, happy reading and much romance. Laissez le bon temps rouler.

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Out of the Penalty Box (book #1) One minute in the box or a lifetime out. Defending the Net (book #2) Crossing the line could cost the game. Ice Gladiators (book #3) When the gloves come off, the games begin. Penalty Kill (book #4) Let the pucker begin. Future Goals (book #5) The future lies between a puck and a net.

About the Author:

Hi, I’m Genevive, and I am a contemporary sports romance author. My home is in South Louisiana. If you like snark and giggles with a touch of steamy Cajun and Creole on the side, I may have your poison in my stash of books. Drop by the bayou and have a look around. The pirogues are always waiting for new visitors.