What Social Media Is Really About
“I hate social media.”
I’ve heard this comment over and over and over again from entrepreneurs, especially entrepreneurial women.
I think the reason we hate social media is because we feel the need to look perfect on Instagram and Facebook and LinkedIn or whatever channels we’re using.
And I think it’s time for us to reframe how we’re showing up on social media so that we don’t feel this immense pressure to look perfect. There’s a way for us to befriend social media, make it an effective part of our marketing plans, and use it to attract our ideal clients.
Here’s what I think it comes down to: the real reason people follow you on social media is not because they want to see your perfect home or your perfect kids or your perfect hair.
People follow you because they are inspired by you – because your content resonates with them.
Think about the people who inspire you on social media, the people who resonate with you. My guess is that those people aren’t perfect – they’re real. They show you who they really are: the good and the bad, the joys and the disappointments.
And that’s what social media is about. You’re showing people how you manage the bright side of life, but also how you manage the dark side of life – what you do on an average day, but also what you do on bad days.
You show them your wins and you show them your losses – how you inspire yourself when you’re already inspired, but also how you motivate yourself when you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing.
Because what people are really looking for is for you to help them manage their lives – both the ups and the downs. And when you can be a model for managing both the ups and the downs, you’re inspiring them to do the same.
In my eyes, it isn’t about being perfect, making sure that your hair looks good all the time, raising perfect kids, being skinny, or going on picturesque vacations.
The only rule for social media is to keep showing up. Be consistent in the degree of transparency with which you present your life. In other words, get comfortable consistently sharing how you show up in your life – both on the good days and on the bad days.
As women entrepreneurs, judgment is everywhere – especially on the Internet. I feel you there.
But when we make social media about the act of consistently showing up, we don’t have to hate it. You’re not perfect, and neither are your followers – so don’t be afraid to lean into the messiness of life. That’s where the good stuff is!
