Happy New Year, friend!
2020 was a tough year for everyone. It brought doubt, fear, and loneliness to many. However, we all came together with the power of social media but even that became a negative space filled with worry and stress about things that were not that important. So, let’s start out this new chapter with a little housecleaning of bad habits to leave behind us and start fresh with a positive mindset and community.
Here are the things that we will not be doing in 2021:
#1 Worrying about what others think – this should go without saying but during the last year if you felt self doubt creeping over you then you were not alone. Wondering if what you were putting into the digital community was good enough or if you even belonged there. I can tell you that there are far less people worried about what you are doing than you think. It’s time to stop worrying because you do not need to be liked by everyone, the opinions of others do not pay your bills, and if you truly have a passion for what you do, then why does it matter what people think? You do you.
#2 Obsessing about our follower count – STOP IT. This vanity metric is something that is now outdated. It doesn’t matter if you have less than 1,000 followers, 10k followers, or even 1M followers. Followers will come and go, it is not a big deal if you loose 5-10 followers or more a day. You know what this means? It means that they are not your ideal audience. What you have to say does not speak to them and that is OKAY. This allows you to have a more authentic connection with the followers who do stick around. Don’t doubt the power of a small engaged community.
#3 Blaming the algorithm for low engagement – my friend, as someone who could preach about this all day long, I urge to increase your social media engagement. The algorithm is not against you, you just need to stop being lazy about engaging within your community and followers, and I say this with love, lol. You have to comment on follower posts, stories, and even do a search to engage with like minded people in your online community. It literally takes 15 minutes a day of intentional engagement to increase your online presence. *Pro tip: this is also how you reach more of your ideal audience. (if you struggle with this because you don’t have the time, click the work with me tab)
#4 Comparing our journey to others – The comparison game is also outdated, friend. Your journey is yours alone and there is no race or expiration date. We need to stop comparing our success to others and just uplift and encourage. There is room for everyone at the table. How you conduct your business is not going to be the same as another. The way your deliver your message is not going to be the same as another. If you hype up another person, it is not going to take away from your accomplishments. It is time to stop the comparison and competition culture.
#5 Not giving credit where credit is due – I beg of you do not be that person who copycats another person’s hard work. This does not bring you glory or a feeling of accomplishment. It is a lazy and hurtful way to get ahead. Your worth and value will not decrease if you give credit of something that inspired you to the rightful owner. I promise you are not the only one that has the same ideas. If you hang out with like minded people long enough you will start to see similar ideas and patterns. The difference is how you deliver your content with originality and authenticity.
I hope that you found these to be insightful going into the new year. I would love to see a shift in the social media universe of more authenticity and empowerment.
Tell me which one you will be more intentional with this year!
Socially Engaged Co. 