I was obsessed.

It was time I check in with myself. Until recently I admittedly focused on QUANTITY over QUALITY when it came to my social media. I was fixated on my numbers and any time those numbers were lower than where I wanted them, I felt like I had failed in some way.

Can anyone relate? 

In this day and age most of us are on social media and it’s where we spend alot of time. In fact, if you are reading this, you and I most likely connected on Instagram.

I know we are all here for similar reasons. We want to have a voice and be heard and we are passionate about our messaging. We want to make authentic connections but our WHY can get muddled and we forget WHY we are here. Let’s face it. This platform can toy with our psyche and we can feel like we are in a hamster wheel. Do you find this too?

So like any good social media friend I took some time to reflect on my motives and why I choose to spend time on these platforms .Here are  6 simple ways you can create more authentic and engaging connections on social media that can lead to reaching your goals whatever they may be.

6 Simple Ways to Be More Authentic on Social Media

1.Re-visit why you are on social media. Is it to make new friends, connect with a community or build  a following for your business or become micro-influencer?  With more clarity we can align our actions and motives with our goals and in the process feel good about our social media. 

 2.Up-level your authentic connections by giving more. I now personally make sure to authentically engage with other like minded accounts and be more intentional. I make efforts to seek out women in midlife whom I feel aligned with. I want transparency and real conversations.  

3.Invest more time in others. Actively subscribe to podcasts and blogs. This has helped me get to know other women’s passions and WHYs and I get to expand my mind at the same time. I listen in the car or while walking my dog clients. I love learning and I get to make new friends. It’s the perfect way to leverage my time and to support other women. My favourite hashtag is #womensupportingwomen !

4.Make every effort to not be attached to the results. Engage with no expectation. Sure it would be nice to have reciprocation but remind yourself that anything worthwhile takes time. 

5. Seek real conversations and treat a social media platform like a room full of people. Let’s be real. Would we walk into a networking event full of strangers and go right into our spiel.  Be “interested” rather than interesting. Ask questions and be a good listener. Most improtantly be transparent and share the real you. People are drawn to stories and to what makes us human. 

6. Don’t compare yourself  to others. Comparison is the biggest thief. Everyone is on their own journey and you are exactly where you are meant to be. Our aim is to have high engagement. Numbers don’t mean anything if we have 100 K followers with little engagement. 

With just a few shifts in your approach and if you incorporate a few of these you will experience growth. Comment below what you struggle with the most or share your strategies around social media. Don’t forget to sharewith a friend who might find this helpful and would like to be part of the conversation.