Lessons on Social Media

Social media for most people is a space to participate in social networking but it has rapidly grown into a platform for content creators to share and engage their specific users. Specific because every social media platform has its own niche and it’s the same trend the creatives making the most of social media have taken.

Social media platforms are quite a number and I know some people could have an account on each one. As for me, I only have those that I need. My anxiety can blow out of proportion and the last thing I want is to be dealing with social media induced anxiety. That is not my cup of tea and I don’t wish it on anybody.

We are going to get into four of the many lessons I’ve learned from social media as today’s topic suggests on the 6^th day of the WinterABC challenge.

Social media and authenticity walk hand in hand. It’s possibly the same reason we follow the people we are currently following on the different platforms. Do you think it’s possible to detect the authenticity of a person or a business just by looking at their page? Whatever your answer was, it’s important to note that authenticity is key. Many go the extra mile to sell lies and it is very disappointing when there is delivery of a service for money. Always be on the lookout.

The social media world has opened my eyes to social media marketing. In the near future many people will be professional digital marketers. The plan was to say there will no longer be social media influencers but I’ve noticed the trick businesses use to grow their customer base. They look for people with a big following to market their services. I like the idea of involving people otherwise they’d just pay Google to do the hard work.  Hence you’d see those annoying pop up ads with too many graphics which we all hate and never pick interest in what they have to offer.

Although when there’s a face to it you become curious, swipe up or down and that’s how you end up wasting two hours of your day on social media.

This brings me to another lesson I’ve learned on social media. Don’t give away too much, keep something for and to yourself. Celebrities look like they give way too much information and Wikipedia does them no justice. You’d be surprised at how much they keep to themselves. They give the people what they want not need.

Our generation is already obsessed with social media as is but you don’t want to add social media stalkers to your list of things to worry about.  An MTV show called Catfish taught me that lesson. It’s amazing the lengths people go through. Remember to be safe and treasure your privacy.

Lastly social media has also taught me the necessity of showing up. Businesses or brands thrive better when they put themselves out there. We always come across amazing pages but we never know the people behind them. Over time, brands, business owners and others are starting to show up and this opens up more opportunities which are a result of networking.

Content is the fire, social media is the gasoline.

-Ryan Kohn

Social media is mostly good and bad when the freedom it offers is misused.  Make the most of the opportunities it has to offer but remember to use it wisely. Show up and own your content if the space is for you to do business and more. I recommend you to do a social media cleanse once in a while, too much of anything has never been good.

Wishing you all a blessed week and may it be filled with purpose driven activities.