The Rat Race that is Social Media

Whether you’re World Vision, Apple,  Justin Timberlake or Shari the local hair stylist, you want attention on your social media feeds. It’ll get you the business and the love you need and deserve. Or will it? Is selling your soul to the world really worth it? Is the desire for all those “Likes”, loves (hearts) or shares really worth sacrificing hours and days? Statistics are mixed. Many still believe that word of mouth or traditional advertising on what your company is doing, the direction you’re going or your next album cut and tour date are still the best. Here’s why word of mouth and traditional advertising is best: 

1. Personal. Keep the story human. The word about you or your product needs to be personal. Social media doesn’t permit personal and real attention. It’s blurs the lines between reality of what is and what is not. Liking or leaving comments, “I’m there for you” or “I love the new iPhone” doesn’t get anyone excited or convince most. Even if you get ten thousand likes, it doesn’t mean you’ll actually be selling products or have more friends. People need real, human interaction with one another and seeing it for themselves is more convincing.
2. Unadulterated. Stop selling your soul. People are starting to realize what they’re doing, but not everyone. A lot of us have been running around with our clothes off for a while now. Some of us have stopped, realized the party has gone on a bit too long and we’re putting them back on. These days we all seem to know something intimate about others lives we probably don’t need to thanks to social media. Some might admire our boldness for posting pictures with our gals last night after a few cocktails, but they certainly won’t give you more respect. You’ll likely lose it. Everyone’s a critic these days. Admiration never sold 90 million iPhones. Value, quality, reliability and purpose did. 
3. Real. Social media is based on hype; not reality. You add filters, exciting text and tags. It’s a bit theatrical really. It’s not honest and who you are or what your company is really like. Like the Media, they try to excite and stretch the truth of detail to grab your attention and convince you to watch them over the competitor. It’s the same with social media these days. The audience can sense when you’re trying to pull a fast one and asking them to buy the Pinto for the price of the Ferrari. Social media is the Disney of movies. It’s magical, fun, uplifting and not reality. Your audience will want to believe your word for it, not what your social media feeds says. Place your focus on building character, intellect and brand the old fashioned way: by actually doing it. Spending hours on posts to your social media feeds won’t help. Your a Facebook and Instagram stories blur the lines between reality and what others are actually saying. 
4. Believable. Your story needs to be convincing. If you want honest, good people to believe you and buy your product, service and love you more, you just need to make them believe. Let’s face it. Believing your social media media feed is the gospel truth, is not realistic. You’re broadcasting to the world. If you want to boost your ego by bragging about your shiny new car or your new Prada bag, go for it. It won’t make you story more believable. People believe what they can hear, they appreciate humility, kindness, compassion and what they can see with their own eyes (sorry this doesn’t include browsing “your feed”).

The Bottom Line

Am I trying to convince you to stop posting and surfing the social media waves? Absolutely, not. Keep enjoying it, and learning about yourself, other and making your brand better, but stop vesting so much energy and time into it and selling your soul to the world. Some things in your life are meant to be kept private and sacred. Try to post more about promoting and encouraging others. Love others more. Less narcissism. Use your time each day more wisely. Time is something you can never get back. Use it being involved with people who are right in front of you, helping better their lives. Avoid trying to do this through chat or likes. It’s impersonal and too easy. 

I challenge you to go back to your posts from a few years ago. You’ll likely notice how innocent it was when it all started. No filters, no special text or tags. You were building an album. Now you’re building  brand. For companies this might be a good idea, but for us individals is that really necessary. Your grandchildren won’t be talking about post you got 500 likes on when you’re not around. Your legacy should be in what you did, and how you changed people’s lives. Stop following the branding hype like lemmings. It’s the world’s clever method of numbering us for selection of their products and services. Next time you post, think about what you’re showing the world.

Here’s a guide into what a healthy and balanced 15 hour day can look like:

• Eating: 1-2 hours
• Bathroom: 20-60 minutes
• Work and studies: 7-9 hours
• Socializing (in person): 1-2 hours
• Exercise: 1-2 hours
• Meditation: 10-30 minutes
• Rest: 30 minutes
• Casual Reading (not including social media feeds): 1-2 hours
• Social Media: 30 minutes