Social Media and Self-Promotion
When did social media stop being so sociable?
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The modern world forces us to market ourselves 24/7. With the constant whirring of social media feeds, walls to write on and comment, posts to re-share and like, social media has become inextricably linked with self-promotion. Impersonal cyber connections are the way we’ve come to interact with other human beings, promoting ourselves online being one of the driving reasons we now use socials on a daily basis. Self-promotion has become a dirty word.
We are increasingly marketing our identities online - but how much of these identities are true to our genuine selves? It’s never been easier to align with values and standards you don’t live up to in real life, and things you don’t give a damn about. Because of this, personal branding has become less about who we are as people, instead focusing on the way we project our outward appearances.Â
In the 21st century self-promotion is commonplace. In an era marked by digital followings, we’re forced to turn our private thoughts and personality quirks into potentially sellable sources of income. Before you know it, everyone and their mothers have a personal brand. As far as marketing goes, promoting via social media does work - I’m not trying to discredit that, I’m as guilty of doing this as much as anyone else using the internet to try and get ahead. But the expectation that you should market yourself under the pretence of authenticity doesn’t sit right with me.
I promote myself, my blog, my newsletter, and anything else I may be working on via social media channels, but I’m left in a constant state of confusion and turmoil. What type of content should I post? How often should I post and to what platform? Are my posts good enough? How much self-promotion is too much self-promotion? I don’t want to come off as narcissistic. Speaking openly about my personal life has always left me feeling self-conscious. Thus brings about a whole new social media conundrum; I need to post and self-promote in order to get my work out there, but where do I draw the line?
There's a huge chunk of social media discourse I find to be missing, and that's what healthy behaviour looks like when self-promoting. Some people love using social media and are more than happy to share all aspects of their lives online in order to advertise themselves. If you’re one of those people I salute you, not everyone has such positive experiences. A lot of our anxiety around self-promotion is driven by the fear of the unknown. Can I share this? Will people like what I'm putting out there into the big wide world? What will my family and friends think?
Most days I'm overwhelmed by the amount of work I need to be doing on social media, as well as behind the scenes, in order to self-promote. Coupled with that there's the constant comparison to my peers and their diligently curated profiles and online personas, the dopamine hit when I receive a like or a follow, and the depressive slump when I feel my posts aren’t getting the attention they deserve. A stream of never-ending self-promotion has become an imperative tool for everyone from your average Joe, to influencers and content creators who have followings surpassing the millions.
I'm not sure where I stand in all of this, my feelings about social media and self-promotion are in a constant state of change and disarray. One thing I continuously question though is this, when did social media stop being so sociable? Where did all the fun go?
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Twitter to see more of what I’m up to, and I’ll see you same time same place next week!Â
Catch you soon,
J’Nae
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:
- Are you allowed to recommend a newsletter within a newsletter? I may be breaking some rules here, but that's exactly what I'm doing. Wordsmith Haley Nahman produces the newsletter Maybe Baby on this very same platform that you’re now reading this, her writing is so good and of-the-moment she was even featured heavily in this article by The New Yorker.Â
WHAT I’VE BEEN WATCHING:
- Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a celebration of real-life musical legends and Black culture at large. With a powerhouse performance by Viola Davis, and what we know now was Chadwick Boseman's last performance before he passed, this movie really does hit you with a whole range of emotions - and an unexpected ending. A definite must watch.Â
WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:
- I’ve mentioned them before, but ChilledCow on YouTube really does have some great lo-fi music to play in the background whilst you're working or going about your daily business. One of my current favourites I have played is this video/soundtrack.Â
WHAT’S CAUGHT MY EYE:
- I downloaded the Habit app at the start of January to keep track of some things I want to focus on this year. Not goals necessarily, but practices I want to incorporate into my day-to-day, and this app is a great way to keep myself accountable.
ON MY BLOG:
- Even though we’re all now spending so much more time indoors, it doesn’t mean we can’t still get excited about fashion. In my latest blog post on my redesigned site, I delve into the wardrobe staples you should invest in this autumn/winter.Â
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