This week I had a conversation with a friend and collaborator. I won’t name names mostly because we never talked about this topic being the subject of a blog post. Our talk struck a chord with me and it’s a subject I have heard brought up often in the last couple of weeks.
Authenticity
In the midst of COVD-19 life goes on. Albeit in a roundabout way. The internet and more importantly social media has allowed us to have this shared experience that is quarantine. Unless, you’re not abiding by those rules, to which I say take off your rose-colored glasses. Logging into Instagram the last few days I have noticed a shift from many of the people that I follow; people are becoming more authentic.
Authentic is a word that gets thrown around often. So, what exactly do I mean? Let’s take a look at the definition:
au•then•tic
adjective
of undisputed origin: genuine
Authenticity in the world we currently live in means, throwing away the facade and persona you have built up. It’s getting down to being who you truly are. For many creatives out there this comes naturally and they are already doing this. It is how people connect to you, where they find common ground, and really how you build your audience.
People, aka your audience, want to connect with you because they feel they have something in common with you. That’s what makes this big internet machine amazing. It’s like walking into the lunchroom on the first day of high school, but instead of being worried about who you’re going to sit with, there is a table for any interest you have and people at that table. No more eating alone in the bathroom!
Speak to your audience from the heart
When it comes to “unprecedented times” people want to escape. They want to be able to dive into a world that is not our own, and that’s what content offers. However, it would behoove creators and companies to remember that it is ok to be human. It’s ok to break your feed, post on an odd date, or even rush something out the door that is a little less polished.
The internet is all about connection and what better time to connect with people than now.
So Timmy the influencer, stop posting about your trip to New Zealand with a crappy caption, the best tips and tricks for selling, attacking each other over differing market opinions, posting business tips, and whatever new piece of clothing you were sent to promote. You come off as disingenuous, tone-deaf, and uniformed. I get we all have to make a living somehow, but maybe take a look at the world around you and realize how many people are totally screwed currently.
Instead - read the room. Be a resource, offer a service you normally wouldn’t for free, join an online zoomba class, make content about something you think other people may be interested in…..but most importantly be compassionate, understanding, and authentic.
It is what is going to get us through.
