So I was thinking about Batman the other day. And let’s be honest—I think about Batman a lot. For both of you who don’t know about Batman, he’s pretty much a social institution at this point. Batman is a DC Comics superhero who dresses like a bat and fights crime. But he’s more than a comic book, cartoon or movie. To me, the Dark Knight is on par with Citizen Kane or Captain Ahab. He’s a literary blockbuster that children should (and probably will) be studying in school. But as social media managers, we should realize how Batman is just like us.
Wait, What? That’s right, Batman is a perfect inspiration for our brand of marketing. If you want to be at the top of your game on social media, you need to be studying the habits of the Dark Knight. Otherwise, you’re going to look like a joker.
Always on the Job. Batman doesn’t take vacations. He doesn’t take weekends off. Hell, the guy only sleeps about four hours, and usually during the day. Batman is always on the job. As social media professionals, we may take some time off now and then, but we understand still being on the job at 3 AM. Like crime, social media doesn’t sleep, so we can’t either.
Ever-Vigilant. Batman doesn’t really have a secret identity—he has an alter ego known as Bruce Wayne. But the minute Bane or The Joker attacks Gotham, Bruce Wayne leaves the fancy cocktail party and Batman gets to business. The Caped Crusader is always checking for local crime and corruption, even while he’s hosting a charity event or doing push-ups. Social media marketers can understand that—we’re always checking our high-tech gadgets for the latest scoop. Maybe we don’t have an art deco super-computer that scans for crime, but we do have the smartphone charged and ready for the next trending topic or flashy hashtag. Like Batman, we’re always watching.
Iron Will. The Dark Knight is the sort of guy who would spend a slow Saturday night doing sit-ups until he passed out, or seeing how long he can go without sleep in between patrols. You can’t interrogate Batman because he doesn’t respond to intimidation or torture. Nothing short of death will stop him from his war on crime. Perhaps we aren’t immune to pain, but the truth is our jobs aren’t easy. The hours are long and the skills required are varied. In essence, we have to “wear a lot of different masks.” If you want to be a leader in social media marketing, you need a strong will.
And the Lights Fade. One of Batman’s greatest attributes is that he’s unwilling to compromise his ideals. He won’t stop fighting, and he won’t give in to chaos. Social media professionals can take some inspiration from that, because let’s face it: We all need a safe haven from chaos in this field.
