Crypto Marketing with Ty Smith
Profanity on Social Media. Is It OK? - Episode 10
About this episode
Ty, TJ and Kylie open the Coinbound podcast with a straightforward marketing question: should you swear on social media? The conversation moves quickly from personal habits, like who curses in person but not online, to the real variable that matters for marketers: what the account is for and who the audience is. TJ argues it comes down to motivation, whether you're building a personal brand, a business account, or just posting whatever comes to mind.
The group breaks down how platform culture changes the calculation. Twitter tends to tolerate more, Facebook's older audience tends to tolerate less, and crypto brands in particular can often get away with rougher language than most industries. Kylie brings in a business etiquette article with concrete rules: know your audience, get creative instead of generic, and never make the curse word the whole point of the message.
The episode closes on two practical warnings for marketers. First, social algorithms actively limit reach for content with profanity, so brands chasing maximum exposure should minimize it. Second, whatever you post stays online permanently, so the group lands on authenticity as the long term strategy: be who you actually are so you're not backtracking on your own words years later.
Key takeaways
- Decide what the account is for before deciding whether to swear, personal, persona, or business accounts each call for a different approach.
- Avoid profanity on brand accounts since it can limit algorithmic reach and doesn't fit most professional contexts.
- Match your language to the platform's culture and audience, what works on Twitter may not land on Facebook.
- Crypto brands specifically have more room to use profanity and still be fine, according to the group's experience.
- If you use profanity in marketing copy, be creative with it rather than relying on generic curse words.
- Never make the cuss word the centerpiece of your message, treat it as an accent, not the main point.
- Prioritize long term authenticity over short term filtering, since everything posted online stays there permanently.
Questions this episode answers
Is it okay to curse on a brand's social media account?
The hosts generally say no for brand accounts, since it can limit reach and doesn't fit a professional business context. Persona or influencer accounts have more flexibility since the account isn't tied to a company's reputation.
Does using profanity hurt reach on social platforms like YouTube or Facebook?
Yes. TJ explains that algorithms skew toward family-friendly content, so posts with expletives get shown to a narrower audience, mainly people who already engage with that type of language. If the goal is maximum exposure, using less profanity helps.
Should crypto brands avoid swearing on Twitter?
Kylie says most crypto brands can get away with profanity and be fine, since the culture of the crypto space and of Twitter itself is more permissive than platforms like Facebook, which skew toward an older audience.
What's the right way to use profanity in marketing copy?
Kylie references an article on business swearing: know your audience, be creative with cuss words instead of generic ones, and never make the cuss word the centerpiece. As she puts it, swearing is language frosting, not the cupcake.
Does the platform matter when deciding whether to swear?
Yes, both Ty and TJ agree platform culture changes what's acceptable. TJ says he'll say anything on Twitter but holds back on Facebook because its audience skews older, not because he's hiding who he is, just adjusting to who he's talking to.
Full transcriptShow
Ty Smith0:04
Welcome to the Coinbound podcast. My name is Ty Daniel Smith. With me is Kylie and TJ, and today we are discussing is it okay to use profanity on social media? TJ, why don't you start? What do you think?
TJ0:12
Yeah, what the fuck is the right answer here? No, really, what are we supposed to say? Is it is it, it's a mixed answer for me. I say, yeah, be yourself, talk how you normally are, but it's a little bit, I know it's mixed results. Like I've had this conversation with a lot of different people and they, like a lot of people want to either filter themselves or they're trying to create a specific brand and things like that. So I would say, it kind of depends like what you're using social media for. What is it you're trying to build? Are you just using it for fun and just to engage with people and you just say whatever comes to the top of your head and you just throw it out there? That's one thing. If you're using it for a business, that's a totally different approach. So I think the first thing you have to do is start the discussion of why am I trying to build this channel, what am or are you trying to build this channel, or are you just, just kind of using it to just put your thoughts out there and if people respond, great, if they don't, you don't care. So I'd say it starts with trying to kind of look at what your motivation is.
Ty Smith1:13
Okay. Yeah, I personally don't curse on social media, but I think it definitely depends on what kind of account it is. For a brand account, I would recommend not.
TJ1:21
Well, let me ask you this. Do you curse when you talk just in person?
Ty Smith1:23
I mean, you work with me. You know I do.
TJ1:24
Okay, so what is it about social media that you think, like why is why do you want to talk differently there?
Ty Smith1:28
I don't know, honestly. That's a good question. That's a good question.
TJ1:30
Is it and it's I mean, it's there's could be a few different reasons. One, like when you're talking directly to me, you know me and how I'm going to react versus like when you put it on social media, who knows who's going to see it.
Ty Smith1:37
Well, I try to be a little more concise also when I'm speaking on social media versus when I'm in person. It's unplanned and it's kind of like filler words at times.
TJ2:09
Reactionary almost?
Ty Smith2:10
Yeah.
TJ2:11
Yeah. Interesting. Well, what about you? Do you curse on social media?
Kylie2:12
Not usually.
TJ2:12
Not usually. Do you curse in person?
Kylie2:13
Yeah.
TJ2:14
Okay.
Kylie2:14
Don't tell my parents.
TJ2:15
So it just becomes to me an interest Yeah, so that's I guess that maybe that's what it is. For a lot of people, it seems like who's going to see it is on their mind and how that person's going to perceive it has an impact or doesn't have an impact. So that and I think that's where I was saying it comes down to the motivation of why you're putting stuff out there to begin with.
Ty Smith2:27
Yeah, it again, it comes down to what kind of account it is. Like I said, a brand account I wouldn't. If you're like an influencer or maybe it's like an avatar kind of account, like a persona that you have on social media, then whatever, do whatever you want.
TJ2:37
Well, and also depends on the brand, too. Like what type of brand.
Kylie2:40
I think most crypto brands, I could say, yeah, you could use profanity and be fine.
Ty Smith3:08
Well, yeah. Well, we're also talk we should also talk about which platform we're talking about because I'm having this conversation with Twitter in my mind.
TJ3:11
Well, you took the words right out of my mouth. I was going to say the same thing. Like the platform also has a big the culture of the platform has a big kind of influence on the type of way, things you can get away with versus you can't. And so I would say, again, thinking about your motivation is the audience cater like without filtering yourself, you always want to be who you are and authentic, but you also want to have your audience in mind and know who you're speaking to. So for me personally, I'm a lot more likely to say, like you said, on Twitter, I'll say anything. Anything that pops in my head will come I'll say. If anybody follows me, they know where I land on this if you follow me on Twitter. If it's going through my head, I'll probably put it out there. But on Facebook, which audience tends to typically skew older, I'm less likely to do that. And it's not necessarily because I'm filtering myself for those people, it's more just how I really am as a person, too. Like so kind of like what we were saying in the personal conversation discussion, if I was to walk into a room and, say I'm at a family reunion and it's a bunch of older people, I'm not going to be dropping F-bombs left, right, and center. So it's but so it's really just kind of depending on who I'm talking to in the audience depends on kind of how I am, not saying I'm changing myself or filtering myself, but that's just kind of the way I approach it. So I don't know, whatever I think will kind of convey my point best to the people I'm trying to talk to.
Ty Smith4:30
Do you feel there are in certain situations benefits to using profanity?
TJ4:33
Sure, yeah.
Ty Smith4:34
Like what?
Kylie4:35
So for artistic reasons, if you need to use a cuss word for whatever reason, if you're passionate about something and you really want to convey your message, people pay attention to the F-word. You got an F-word in a tweet, like my mind my eye immediately goes to it and so I guess it's it is really what you want to accomplish. I feel like I don't cuss because I don't want my mom to see it, and I don't know who is going to see it. Hi, Mom. Yeah, so but we're also living in a society that language is changing so rapidly that the idea of profanity may not even really be a thing anymore because people are so okay with it.
TJ5:21
Well, I was going to go exactly to that same direction of where you were going. Like they're just words. So if you're trying to convey a point, why do you use any words that you use? You're trying to put together the best string of words to convey the way you're feeling in that moment or whatever you're trying to convey. And like you said, people are caring less and less what word is a bad word versus, an a culturally approved word versus a culturally unapproved word.
Kylie5:44
I feel like there's only like four probably words that get bleeped out now on TV.
TJ6:13
Right. Well, and that's what's interesting, too, always interesting to me, which words they did and didn't bleep on TV versus now there's words that aren't even considered cuss words that are much more culturally a faux pas to say and will get you railroaded on social media and in person, whatever, that used to be not as, a big of a deal to say. So that's what's interesting to me is kind of cultural reactions to sayings, and it's really just kind of the human filter and perception of it that's really kind of creates the stigma. So that's why I'm always on this board of just be who you are, and if they don't like it, they can always unfollow you.
Ty Smith6:37
Okay, that's true.
Kylie6:37
I read this amazing article that I'm going to plug, and it's the do's and don'ts of basically, that's not the title, we'll plug the title, but these are the do's and don'ts in business. Don't name-call. So I feel like this is a good, I mean...
Ty Smith6:46
Now is this for brand accounts or just for professional accounts in general?
Kylie6:48
This is this is just in the business environment, and so because our business is social media, social media is our business environment. So do know your audience, we covered that. This is my favorite one. Do be creative.
TJ7:23
Exactly.
Kylie7:24
And it says, 'Whoever thought of ass-hat and douche-canoe are clearly putting time and consideration into their craft.'
TJ7:27
That's true.
Kylie7:28
Tasteful cuss words go a long way.
TJ7:30
Yeah.
Kylie7:30
And they're funny.
TJ7:31
Yeah.
Kylie7:32
Don't make the cuss word the centerpiece. And this is the best one. 'Swearing is language frosting.'
TJ7:34
Exactly.
Kylie7:35
'It can be the cupcake, but only if you're very skilled.'
TJ7:36
Yeah, don't overuse it.
Kylie7:38
Yeah.
Ty Smith7:38
Okay. All right.
TJ7:39
A little bit goes a long way, I will say that.
Kylie7:41
Yeah.
TJ7:41
Yeah, I would agree with that for sure.
Ty Smith7:43
All right, cool. Anything else, guys?
TJ7:45
Well, one thing I wanted to mention and just kind of point out, and it again it comes to your motivation of why you're doing it. If you're trying to do this to get your message to as many people as possible, all of these algorithms and social media are going to skew towards more family-friendly things. So even if they say they're not going to harm, hurt your media or kind of give you less views, like say on a YouTube or a Facebook or something like that for using language, they all do pick up on it and they will still only start to show your content to people that have liked other content with that type of language in there. So just by the nature of the way the computer system works, it will start to limit your content. So if your goal is to get as much exposure as possible, less is more when it comes to expletives.
Kylie8:44
Yeah. If you have anything to lose from cussing on social media, don't do it. If you have the potential to lose a job or like the opportunity for a job or business, like you don't want to obviously, hurt your potential chances of anything. But if this is going to be your persona online and you want to be known as a person that is passionate and, says whatever they want to say, like do it.
TJ9:26
Well, I think, yeah, kind of what you just said, what social media has taught us if anything recently is whatever you put on the internet stays on the internet. And so really looking really looking inward in yourself, being authentic, and being as true to yourself as possible is always the best strategy because if you're really putting out who you truly are, then you're going to be okay with it over time as, things go on. But if you're trying to always trying to fit and change yourself to what other people are looking for, you're going to be on the internet time and time again going back and forth on what you're saying. So if you can always just look inside and be as That's why authenticity and being genuine is always what it comes down to for me. If you are who you are, then you're okay with that in five years versus always trying to like keep up, if that makes sense.
Ty Smith10:23
Yeah. Okay. All right, well, so we have a new Slack channel. Join us on Slack now if you have any questions. We have a dedicated channel to answering any marketing-related questions, questions at the podcast.
TJ10:29
And follow, you didn't even say our names, follow us, Young Dumb Crypto, Crypto Kylie, @coinbound,
Ty Smith10:32
@TyDanielSmith
TJ10:32
@TyDanielSmith on Instagram, Twitter, obviously podcast. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Ty Smith10:37
Yeah, so our our Slack channel is coinbound.io/joinslack will take you there, and remember to rate, review, and recommend the podcast if you found it valuable.
TJ10:43
And like it and send it to your mom.
Ty Smith10:44
Thanks, guys. All right. Bye.
Kylie10:45
Bye.
