Showing up on social media for the first time can be overwhelming. You are taking a step into the unknown.
What if people don’t engage?
What if people call me out for my lack of knowledge?
What if trolls write abusive and negative comments on my posts?
So, many questions lead to so many unhelpful narratives. These narratives can become all-consuming to the point that you don’t show up! It all feels too much, and the prospect of writing a post or recording a video breaks you out in hives.
Sadly, the world is not full of mind readers, so if you don’t let your people know you are available, they may never know.
It all starts by taking that first step and finding your groove from there!
Here are some truth bombs that show you the power of a positive mindset so you start letting people know that you are open for business.
Highlight Your Strengths and Shout Them From The Rooftops
The foundation of everything is self-belief. Awareness and gratitude for who you are and the unique skills, knowledge, and experiences that you bring to the dance.
These are the things that you need to focus on every single day. Let the world know about it. Using your strengths to make a difference is one of the best things you can do in the world. It is not boasting; it is a service.
You may be tempted to compare yourself to all the other professionals in your niche, but they aren’t you. So, take a moment to write down a list of all your strengths, accomplishments, client success stories, and skills. Ask your clients what they like about working with you.
This is what is going to help you stand out and connect with the people that you would like to work with so use it as the foundation for your content.
You have value to add and a unique perspective to share with the world, so start posting. And, if you ever doubt yourself, come back and remind yourself about your awesomeness and then post confidently.
Someone is waiting to hear from you.
What Is Simple To You Can Be A Game Changer For Someone Else
People search platforms such as Google, LinkedIn, and YouTube to learn new skills or find solutions to problems they have in their lives.
Social media channels are an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise.
And, before you start thinking nobody is interested or that what you have to share is too basic, remember that what is simple for you can be a game changer for someone else.
Your expertise and knowledge can help save your audience and clients time, stress, and money.
Take some key areas that you help your clients with. Consider the common questions that come up and the things that would be useful for people at different stages of their careers.
For example, an accountant could help clients with tax, VAT, profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, etc. They could create short tutorials on each subject based on common questions, mistakes they see happen, and beginner guides for new business owners.
Simple stuff for an accountant with 10, 20, or 30 years of experience, but a real game changer for a confused sole trader facing their first self-assessment or a business about to reach the VAT threshold.
Celebrate Who You Are
One of the main reasons people don’t post on social media, record videos, or try to stand out from the crowd is fear of judgment.
For example, many business owners don’t create videos because they don’t like how they look on camera or sound. The same goes for brand photography; business owners hate to have their photos taken.
These negative stories about how bad we look and sound can significantly impact how we show up online.
Here’s the thing, no one is paying any attention to how we look and sound on social media. They are too busy dealing with their own shit! People are looking for a reason to stop scrolling, which is your message. The last thing they will think about is your accent.
Celebrate your uniqueness and all the things that make you, YOU! Your voice is a powerful way to transmit your knowledge, and how you look helps build trust and familiarity with your people—a lot of stuff to love.
YOU ARE AWESOME, and you make a massive impact!
Don’t Attach Your Self-Worth To A Post
When people start posting on social media, they will come face to face with people who get 1000s of views and likes on each post. As a result, people get hung up on vanity metrics. They measure the success of each post by the likes and views. And this approach is likely to leave you feeling frustrated.
It takes time to build up an engaged audience, and sometimes your posts bomb. Ask any person who creates content, and they will tell you that they don’t have a magic formula to rely on to create a constant stream of viral posts.
When you start posting, stay in your lane and focus on adding value to your audience.
Just because your post didn’t go viral or got a few likes doesn’t mean you have to question your competence. On the contrary, if you reach one person or get a few views of a video, it means that you have had an impact on someone.
They may not have commented, but you have stopped them scrolling. You have given them food for thought and started to build a relationship with them. They will start trusting you and
One person who likes your stuff is awesome.
If you reach one person, you get 20 views on your video, meaning 20 people have taken time out of their day to watch it!
And you think 100 impressions is terrible! Imagine having an audience of 100 people in a room...would that be a disaster?
You Never Know Who Is Watching
Only a small percentage of social media users create content; the rest hide in the shadows. They watch but very rarely engage. Some are shy, some are unsure of what to say, and others prefer to learn and not participate in the conversations. Whatever the reasons, I guarantee these people are there; you never know who is watching.
That is why my approach is to always speak to people that I haven’t met yet.
I talk directly to them because I know they will feel seen and heard when I do that!
Don’t get hung up on the vanity metrics; believe in your value and aim to add value to your posts. Start conversations and inspire people to take action.
Your people will see your content and get in touch when they are ready.
Your People Will Get You
I can’t say this loudly enough, SHOW UP AS YOU! You don’t have to pretend to be something you are not; you don’t have to be an all-singing, dancing, smiling TikTok sensation (unless you want to be), and you don’t have to paint a smile on!
And why would you? YOU ARE AWESOME, so embrace that fact!
Sure, you may have that voice in your head saying, “What if people don’t like my stuff?” or “What if people judge me?”
Truth Bomb Time: You will not appeal to everyone, so don’t try. It’s a colossal waste of time.
Are you here to make friends or find an engaged, inspiring network and clients that light you up?
I am guessing the latter.
Social media is an excellent filter. Your people will get you. They will like your messages and your approach. Everyone else will scroll on by and not consider working with you. You will engage with awesome people online and attract clients you want to work with. And this is a win-win for everyone.
It’s YOUR Time To Shine
As you come to the end of this journey of self-discovery, I can see your energy vibing at a whole different level!
Because you know that you DO have knowledge and expertise to share with the world.
By posting, you are getting your message out there.
People know, like, and trust you.
Putting you front of mind when they are ready to get to work.
Sounds awesome, doesn’t it?
Today is your day to start!
Ready to Go From Camera Shy To Camera Awesome so you WOW your audience with your personality and offers?
Book a call today to talk about the video content coaching options available for your business.