Show Your Face to Grow Your Business

Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, oh my! These platforms can be intimidating, but they are essential to the growth of your business.

It's no secret that growing your business now involves growing your social media. Even though shopping has shifted from in-person to online, doesn't mean that retail is any less personal.

“People like to see people.”

Humans enjoy seeing other humans; it's biological; it's hardwired. We are social creatures, so although we may not shop with other people physically around us, we still shop with people. People like to see people; it's as simple as that. Therefore it's important to put yourself out there on social media for the sake of your growing business.

Reels

When you think about it, this is why Instagram is moving more towards reels. Sure videos are more visually intriguing than still photos, but there's another element that has driven the success of reels, and that element is human.

We love to see people who are similar to us, different from us; we love to see neighbors, strangers and their life experiences. We love to connect.

The Other Side of the Coin

People can suck. There I said it. People can be downright mean and miserable, and as a result it is SUEPR IMPORTANT to remember that it has NOTHING to do with you.

The more you grow your account and your business, the more people you will reach, which also means the more weirdos you will encounter. *Weirdos are no excuse to not grow your account*

As you grow your account, you'll most likely experience mean comments or DMs from time to time. I hope you never do, but let's be real.

Here's what I had to learn about people and their mean comments.

It's never about me; it's always about them.

After a mean comment or DM, this is the conversation I have with myself:

Okay, deep breath, you're okay, that person isn't even here. Heck, that person might be a robot, or worse, a pre-teen. I have no idea what they are going through and clearly something I said triggered them, but that is not my responsibility. I put out positive and helpful content and if people interpret it differently, that's on them. I hope this person finds peace and learns to love themself.

And if my cyberbully has private profile or a blank profile image, I don't sweat it AT ALL because it's easy to be a b*tch or a d*ck in anonymity.

DO NOT ENGAGE

Lastly, but most importantly, do not engage with those energy-sucking-cyberbullies.

1. Controversy and conflict and the fast-track ways to up engagement and/or pass the time. That's why meme pages love it when some idiot writes something stupid, because others will respond and that is automatic uptick in engagement.

2. Just like little kids, they want you to react. That's their whole game. If you don't react, you take away their power. About two years ago, some girl picked a fight with me on Instagram and then made a YouTube video about it. The video got tons of views because the word DRAMA was in the title of her video. She literally created content by starting drama. But here's the thing-- no one talked about it on Instagram. Why? Because I didn't.

3. If you ignore someone's dumb comment or DM, it shows them that you really don't care about them; they're not even worthy of a response. I just delete and move on with my life.

It's Time

Alright, it's time to take the plunge and start showing up on social media. The positives greatly outweigh the negatives, and your business will thank you. If you are ready to grow your Instagram account, click here to learn how I can help :)