How to Overcome the Fear of Posting
Posting to social media is much different than it used to be. Cut to my MySpace page years ago, I posted anything that interested me each day whether that was the movie I watched last night or my recent crush. Social media was a stream of consciousness then because only your friends would visit your page, and it hadn’t come fully into its purpose as a brand builder. Instead now, we can have the tendency to scrutinize each word in our copy, the lighting of our photos or simply think we cannot play in the big leagues like the influencer with 100K+ followers.
STOP! No really stop... Social media is a tool, not a perfection contest. When used correctly, it can be the most supportive place for you to share your triumphs, struggles and musings. If you are feeling sad when you scroll, two things are happening: either you’re comparing yourself to accounts that are only showing the pretty picture or you’re punishing yourself for not showing up. If there is anything I want you to get from reading this blog post, it’s to convince you that the picture perfect days of social media are over!
The accounts that do not share their setbacks as often as their successes or share posts without engaging with others are on their way out. We as consumers are getting smarter. The more we’ve used social media, the more we’ve been able to pick out those accounts that are only scratching the surface. We want real life, real conversations, and two-way communication. All that being said, this new environment is much more welcoming than you think, and it’s time for you to shine. Here are three ways to stop fretting and start posting:
Get brand-focused
Creating content is like staring at a blank canvas - there're many ways to paint a picture, but you have to have an idea of the big picture. This is where your brand comes in. When you’re brainstorming what to post for your business, ask yourself these questions:
What problem am I trying to solve?
What type of audience do I have now? And, who would I like to have in the future?
What is the goal I ultimately want to achieve with my posting as a whole?
These are a few questions I dig into when I do a brand audit with new clients. By knowing your audience, the problem you’d like to solve, and the ultimate solution you’d want to achieve, one post will have less weight as it will be just a piece of your overall brand pie. For example, if I want to make cooking at home easier for my followers (problem), I might post a 5-ingredient recipe of common foods found in my follower's kitchens (know thy audience). My ultimate goal here is to help my followers be a little healthier each day, and this one recipe is a step to get there.
Read more: Why Brand Matters - Even More Than the Algorithm
Find your cheer squad
As with any goal, it’s always good to have accountability buddies to cheer you on as you try something that may not come naturally to you – case in point, selfie videos and photos! For many of my clients (and myself), these simple pieces of content can cause sweat to roll down your back, a memory of being rejected at your 7th grade dance, and shortness of breath - just me? In reality though, my negative inner critic is playing tricks on me. One of the best anecdotes is a supportive group of friends who may give constructive criticism but more likely will tell you that the video is fantastic and to post it already.
“One of my goals as a brand and social strategist is to reduce the fear of digital marketing and to make it a place that you feel courageous, cared for and confident.”
I regularly recruit two friends of mine when I am overanalyzing a photo of my face or I’m scrutinizing each word of my caption. Nine times out of ten, they help me laugh at my inner critic and push me to post it already. We all perform better with a tribe so recruit some supportive friends and tame your negative inner critic together.
Just get started
I can hear the groan as you read this third tip, but it is the best one. The only barrier preventing you from creating an online presence is yourself! We can create many excuses as to why we haven’t started yet, but once you step out of perfectionism and just do, it all becomes easier. Overcome the fear by chipping away at it piece by piece.
One of the best ways to start is to set some quotas for yourself of how often you’d like to post, and when you meet that goal, reward yourself with simple “treats” whether that is a movie you’ve been excited to see or a new book you've been waiting to order. If the fear of posting a video of yourself on social frightens you, make a goal of simply recording a one-minute video for your camera roll 3 times a week to get used to it. At the end of the week, I’ll bet you come back to those videos later and wonder why you were so hard on yourself.
There are so many opportunities we can utilize by genuinely sharing on social media. One of my goals as a brand and social strategist is to reduce the fear of digital marketing and to make it a place that you feel courageous, cared for and confident. If anything else, I’m happy to be the first recruit in your cheer section!