A big thanks for the lovely photo to Valerie whom you can find here.
With the rise of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, keeping it real has become only that much more complicated. And I’m not referring to Keeping it Real as the Kardashians do – quite the reverse in fact.
How can we have a strong social media presence without ‘’FAKING IT’’?
The second I share with someone that I always have a few scheduled posts per week they tell assume it has all been so fake/staged. Or what about the fact that I’m not wearing the same clothes as the photo I just posted on Instagram. What about that time I went to that new ice cream spot because I knew I would like to share the pretty cone in my feed?
We’ve all done it but here is what it doesn’t mean : FAKE.
I often speak about authenticity and staying grounded when it comes to social media. Of course it’s not the most zen and true space out there – but hey, you can still rock at it all while being 100% you.
Here are my top 3 tips :
1. Don’t pretend you’re someone who you’re not. It’s not sustainable on the long run and you’d be building a community around something you’re not.
So if you want to go out to a specific place because their food is pretty – great! But don’t fake liking the ice cream when you’re lactose free in reality..
2. If you’re going to schedule posts OR have your photos taken in advance (not the day of) make sure you mean everything you’re about to write as a caption + let it be either informative OR inspirational.
Don’t be shy to tell a story, to get a little personal and truly express yourself.
3. Don’t overstage your posts + use Instagram stories/Facebook LIVE as a took to keep it real (show personality, the behind the scenes, tell jokes, be sarcastic & CONNECT with others).
At the end of the day it’s YOUR presence and only you should decide what to post or not but if you want it to feel good – let’s keep it authentic.
From personal experience as an ''influencer'' (find me here) and social media agency owner, I've seen my fare share of amazing and not so amazing accounts. If you're trying to stand out, make sure you've set the record straight with who you are first!
Looking forward to chatting more - I'd love to hear what YOU think!
Mariella Katz