Social Media Will Give You Back Your Mojo: your mindset matters.
Imagine you're driving your dream car, power at your fingertips, with the thrill of the morphing landscape stretching into an infinite horizon. The roads are streams of ideas, thoughts, opinions, and events. Other drivers, humans from around the globe surround you, each on their own fascinating journey, screaming their unique stories into the elements and weaving their hands into the winds out the window. Post-shaped billboards dot the road, broadcasting stories, vibrant and viral announcements. You look down, shift gears, inhale deeply.
As you exhale, you steer the car into a new moment, a fresh year, a magnificent season. Maybe only a minute will pass, maybe an entire month or more. In your new moment, you look up from the gearshift, and the landscape is different. Perhaps other people now occupy the billboards. Maybe the billboards are now moving pictures, or have disappeared altogether, replaced by nostalgic photos of old stories you used to tell, or of a person you used to be. Other drivers see you, squint, then smile and wave. They know you
You let the wheel go. The car glides effortlessly into this oddly comfortable world where others recognize you. Strangely, you maneuver your vehicle with precision, grace, and authenticity. The stories around you have changed, the landscape has shifted. Yet you are you, and others see you.
You are you. Your vehicle is social media.
Hear me out.
Maybe you left your last moment in a funk. Maybe 2023 was not your year (or, if you’re reading this in the future, maybe it was last month, or last week, or this entire season). Maybe you’ve discovered your new landscape, or are moving into it. Whatever truth you are living as a human, organization, creative, or small business, social media is your vehicle, your truth-teller, your hype person, and, for anyone still discovering their story and shifting gears, it’s a comeback kid’s best friend!
Let's dive into how social media isn’t just streams of content, but your dream vehicle that can help you get your groove back.
REFLECT YOUR MINDSET: Social Media Forces You to Look in the Mirror
Picture this: you're an artist or a creator, it’s early morning, and there you are, in your favorite pajamas, coffee in hand. You glance into this vast, digital mirror – social media – and what stares back? Your artistic identity in its truest form. It's raw, real, and you in all your unfiltered glory. This reflection isn't just about how you look; it's about seeing the essence of your work, your passion, and perhaps realizing it's time to change out of those pajamas and into your creative superhero costume.
It's here you realize that maybe your brand’s aesthetic is less “avant-garde visionary” and more “chaotic coffee addict in crusty pajamas”. But this is good news. Social media offers your reflection in real time. Your audience, or audiences, may give you a standing ovation or occasional tough love - or nothing at all, because you haven’t found them yet. But that’s okay, because you’re learning, tweaking, and sometimes completely overhauling your online presence until it truly sings (or paints, or dances, or writes) your unique story.
Social Media is Where You Learn to Talk About Yourself
Talking about yourself is hard. It takes practice. But before that, understanding our authentic selves is the work we must do. In social media, or any storytelling, you learn the art of self-promotion without sounding like you’re running for office or wearing someone else’s pants that don’t fit. Social media is a stage to share your creative journey, passions, failures, accidents, wins, questions, and everything in between - also known colloquially as: your story.
Social media is not a place to hide, because everyone sees you. The parts of yourself you might prefer to hide because of a fundamental lack of knowing who you are will make sharing your story feel clunky, disconnected, and fake. A world of strangers behind screens might eat you alive if you’re not transparently, unapologetically you. The pieces that you choose not to reveal could resonate deeply with your next buyer, attract your next opportunity, or hit hard with your audience (an impact, by the way, you may never truly realize because we don’t know all of our followers in real life, and may never meet them).
This will be the year that you get clarity on your socials. Clarity on your goals.
Why do you do what you do?
What’s the story behind that one project that nearly drove you to madness or brought out the best piece of work you’ve ever done?
What is your mission?
Your audience will love you for your quirks and creativity - all of them. If they don’t, they are not your audience and will find another. It’s that simple.
Social Media is Still Fast, Easy, and Free (mostly)
Now, let’s talk about the sweetest part of social media – it’s still (mostly) free! Yes, you can cut the line with paid ads (which won’t work without an unshakable funnel and crystal clear brand). At its core, social media is like that free community theater space, but with an unlimited audience.
The digital places are where you can test the waters with new ideas, experiment with different forms of content, and see what sticks – without hiring a PR firm, buying a billboard, investing in door mail, or paying for space in a directory. Reframe social media as an event horizon of possibility - an infinite journal of blank pages that really only costs you time, and only requires clarity (and, well, you!)
The return on time investment on social media is utterly satisfying. And, when you’re ready to take things up a notch, those paid ads can be your spotlight, helping you reach the back rows and beyond.
So, dear creative souls, embrace social media. Your social media mindset is key. It’s not just a tool; it’s your digital stage, studio, and soapbox. Use it to reflect, share, connect. Use it as your whiteboard, brush, journal, and megaphone. Let it amplify your voice, your art, your mission, and your story. With a bit of patience and a shitload of authenticity, you’ll find that social media really can give you back your mojo – and maybe even a few new fans along the way.
This studio corner of the internet will be the space where you learn how to do this. And you’ll do it while staying present and staying social so you can free up time to make a difference.
Your work matters. You matter.
Curtain up!
Robin Anderson
Shift your mindset about social media.
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