[HN Gopher] Ask HN: Is most advice only helpful for a while unti...
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       Ask HN: Is most advice only helpful for a while until too many
       people follow it?
        
       I'm particularly interested in whether this is true for most
       marketing advice.
        
       Author : amichail
       Score  : 8 points
       Date   : 2022-02-15 21:33 UTC (1 hours ago)
        
       | version_five wrote:
       | There is fad advice and longer term solid advice. I know more
       | about sales than marketing, but for example having a targeted
       | video pitch rather than a cold email is probably a gimmick that
       | if one person does it it's more likely to get interaction but if
       | everyone does it its annoying. Talking to your customers and
       | understanding their problems is advice that will continue to
       | work, even if everyone does it.
        
       | Wheaties466 wrote:
       | Absolutely. If too many people do one thing. Its no longer useful
       | advice and see as obvious.
        
       | devKnight wrote:
       | I think part of it too, is that over time the advice gets watered
       | down, and this watered down version is then taught to further
       | "generations".
       | 
       | Going back to the origin and then extrapolating to current
       | conditions can probably yield great results
        
       | syntheweave wrote:
       | There's always a lifespan on information, including advice or
       | other forms. For example, shouting "Fire! Get out!" - the advice
       | is very good for that moment - if it's true.
       | 
       | With business and marketing advice the timing is mostly
       | susceptible to market cycles, which for a lot of fields are
       | generally in the 18-months to 4-years range; by the time 4 years
       | have passed, a whole new cohort has completed college education,
       | the political landscape has shifted and a lot of people have made
       | some change in their lives - the party is over and you have to
       | find new opportunities to hit big. It's not just that too many
       | other people follow that advice, it's that it has become a
       | competitive field in its own way, and often subject to forces
       | that favor an incumbent. So you can't actually get in, or you'll
       | experience headwinds that push you down the ladder. This is true
       | with specific products and services, with career paths, and with
       | categories of assets.
       | 
       | The very best advice is just general wisdom, proverbs, old life
       | philosophies, etc. It needs study and interpretation to feel
       | applicable to current events, but if used well it can reveal an
       | opportunity early on.
        
       | ericathegreat wrote:
       | It depends on the intent of the advice.
       | 
       | If the advice is intended to let you "win the game", or "get
       | ahead of the competition", then yes. If everyone is doing the
       | same thing, then using it isn't going to provide you with any
       | particular advantage over anyone else. "Add these words to get to
       | the top of Google results" is doomed to eventual failure.
       | 
       | If the advice is intended to help you improve your quality of
       | life, or improve at something specifically for the joy of being
       | better at it, then being well known will not dilute it. "If
       | you're feeling sick, then you should drink more water and rest"
       | is just as valid now as it was when it was a new and
       | revolutionary insight.
        
       | allendoerfer wrote:
       | When your barber starts recommending stocks to you, it is time to
       | sell.
       | 
       | Unless of course everyone starts listening to me.
        
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       (page generated 2022-02-15 23:02 UTC)