"What is interesting is the power and impact of social media...We must try to use social media in a good way." - Malala Yousafzai
This week, #metoo took social media by storm.
If you missed it, #metoo is a hashtag Alyssa Milano suggested people use and share as a way to increase awareness around sexual harassment in response to the Harvey Weinstein allegations (the original movement started with activist Tarana Burke).
This blog probably isn’t going where you think it is. (I do think the message and awareness are incredibly important.)
Thoughts about #metoo as a message aside, it made me think about the content we share as entrepreneurs and artists and our responsibility as content creators with what we put out into the world. It also made me think about the power of social media as a connector.
So, if you use content or social media for marketing, this blog is for you.
(Rather watch and listen? Join me in a Facebook Live below!)
There’s a lot of resistance that can come up around social media marketing.
I hear it from my clients all the time. And if you’ve been a part of my world for a little bit, you might know that I resisted social media big time when I started my business. So much so, that I didn’t share a single post on social media about myself or my work for the first year.
I know, it’s crazy cakes.
In fact, before I began sharing on social media for my business, I had only made two Facebook status updates. Ever. One to sell my furniture before I made the move from LA to NYC and the other to thank friends for birthday wishes.
Clearly, a lot has changed.
I share that to say, I get it. I so understand the resistance to social media marketing…and, there’s a whole lot of it.
We worry about what people will think.
We don’t want to be one of “those” people. You know the “icky” people who are always on social media who bug us (even though, we’re still watching).
We don’t want to be salesy.
We’re Judgy Judgersons and think others will do the same to us. (They might)
We worry about sharing what we actually want to do with the world. What if our family sees? What if our friends see? What will they think?
What if we fail publicly and everyone knows it??
What if that person from high school, who was mean to us, that we haven’t talked to since, but is somehow our FB friend, sees our post, and judges us?
We don’t know what to say. What if we run out of ideas?
We think our message isn’t good enough. We think we aren't good enough.
We argue we aren’t ready, yet.
We worry social media will take over our lives and we’ll be a slave to our followers.
We’re scared no one will like our posts or leave a comment. We think it means something about our work. About us as a person and our self-worth.
Then, there’s that fear that if it actually does work, we’ll have to deliver and won’t be able to and everyone will find out we’re a big, fat fraud.
Oh, and those algorithms. How do you beat them? (I'm actually asking.)
#thestruggleisreal
So, we either create a story that it won’t work for us, or we start a half-assed, half-committed attempt at putting ourselves out there and quit a few weeks later.
When we don’t get the results we want, we use this as evidence that social media marketing sucks and doesn't work for us. We convince ourselves it only works for the “big” people online, the people who adopted early, or people who pay for ads.
I’m calling BS on all these stories. Because that's what they are, stories. Lies your brain is telling you to keep you safe and comfortable. (I hear ya, I come up with them as well.)
Social media is a tool. It isn't good or bad; it's thinking that makes it so.
We live in a digital world and social media is only getting more popular.
I get bumped into when I walk down the sidewalks in Manhattan by people who are head down, looking at their phones, scrolling social media.
The way we consume content is changing. In fact, time spent on social media is catching up with our tv viewing time.
But, we already know this. We know we’re on social media more and more. Most of us are reaching for our phones and checking social media before we even get out of bed (something I’d gently suggest you avoid asap).
What we might not think about consciously, is the ability of social media to help us connect and share a message.
Think about #metoo. Within days, what started on social media has spread and connected millions of people to bring awareness to an important topic. As of Oct. 17, Facebook says over 12 Million people have discussed #metoo.
Think about recent political rallies and events....or about that inspirational message that got you through a tough week. There’s a good chance you discovered them through social media.
Social media gives us the ability to share our message and connect with billions of people for free. Free.
According to the latest stats, there are 3 Billion people on social media. I don't even know how to mentally compute 3 billion people.
Love it or hate it, social media is here to stay.
Social media has helped me to connect with incredible people (like you!), learn so much I would never have had access to, and grow my business in ways that would have been impossible before.
I’ve connected with like-minded people, heard amazing stories, and have been able to work with clients internationally because of social media.
So, this week, instead of paying attention to all the “icky”, “annoying”, or “showoffs” on social media who fuel your resistance, I’d love to encourage you to start to look for evidence of people who are using social media to share a positive message, connect authentically, and grow their business and themselves.
Remember, social media is simply a tool. A mostly free tool!
No, it's not a silver bullet, and I don't have "THE" platform you should get on to skyrocket your business to millions overnight. Social media can't create your business for you, but it can help you to create relationships, share your message, and extend your reach.
Take a moment this week and check in with yourself. What are some of the stories you’re telling yourself about social media? How might you show up if you didn’t believe them?
Next week, I’ve got a special interview with Pinterest expert Clare Drake. While Pinterest isn’t technically social media, it’s a part of our digital world and digital marketing, and she’s got some awesome tips she’s sharing!
Wishing you your version of success,
P.S. For awareness and solidarity, #metoo.
P.P.S. Do you need a social media attitude adjustment? Let me know in the comments below!
