Write like no one is watching...

Not all posts are going to reach thousands of people, we can’t nail it every time

Trying to build a presence on social media is difficult, it involves lots of trial and error. You have to put yourself out there and sometimes make yourself vulnerable. 

Every now and then you will put some good content out there that people can relate to and you might even start to gain some traction within your network… “hallelujah I’ve nailed it, blue tick here I come”. That’s what some people think anyway, but from my experience, even when you’re getting “better”, lots of content will still fall flat on its face, you just have to keep going… 

Now everything I’m writing here relates back to my own experiences and I think it’s good to highlight that I still class myself as an amateur at the start of my journey, I’ve made, and continue to make lots of mistakes, but I'm learning everyday. 

In my eyes, I’ve only put a few pieces of good content out there, as well as tons of shite since I started using the platform properly back in 2015, but then again I am my own biggest critic. 

An “influencer” or a pro in social media may look and say “Toby, you’re only getting X amount of likes and that's probably generating an average of Y number of impressions” and they would be right, but in my eyes a personal brand isn’t about likes and impressions, it’s about authenticity. 

This is why I wanted to put this write up together. If you’re currently trying to build your personal brand, then focus on you before focusing on what others may think. 

First of all, look at why this is important to you, then try to find your voice and always try to live by your values. 

Here are 10 things that I would highlight as being important. 

• Stay close to your values and be honest with yourself
• Be respectful of others
• Don’t be afraid to comment on other posts if they are relatable to you
• Get creative and think outside the box 
• Project your passions and show people your authentic self
• Support people on their journey 
• Offer advice, especially if you see people asking for it
• Make introductions to people who you know will bounce off each other
• Surround yourself with people who radiate good energy
• Please, please don’t get into a virtual argument for the world to see

Most of  the above didn’t come naturally to me and I had to learn a lot of the points over years of using the platform in both the right and sometimes the wrong way. 

I’ve always worn my heart on my sleeve and tried to be honest at all times, but I’d be dishonest if I said I’d managed to do that successfully. There have been times in my life and career where I’ve tried to project a version of myself that I thought others would like and respect more than the real me. I’m guessing a lot of people can relate to this, especially when we start to deal with Imposter Syndrome. It can be quite easy to fall into the trap of fabricating small details that over time build and build so they can become damaging, especially to ourselves. 

I feel that finding my true voice, valuing my own energy, overcoming my mind & body from resisting my authentic self and learning to love who I am, especially my imperfections, was the biggest challenge which I’m still working on, but it’s something I focus on every day. We will always get a whole heap of new obstacles thrown our way, that’s just life, but how we learn to overcome them is the key. 

This is the mantra I’ve taken into building my brand, I want to connect with people who I will bounce off, learn from, and can be myself with. I’ve found sticking to the points I mentioned above has allowed me to do just this. 

The most important thing has been staying true to who I am and this has allowed me to put honesty back at the forefront and centre of everything I do which in turn has made me a happier person. 

So my advice to anyone who’s thinking of creating more content, just get it done, “post like no one is watching.” Obviously stay respectful to others, but apart from that, this is your chance to showcase yourself and hopefully gravitate towards people that get you and your energy.  

In short F**k the likes, who cares if they come they come, don’t let lack of interaction stop you being you and definitely don’t let it stop you building your personal brand.