The new era of social media

How to find your tribe with authenticity, consistency, support, & connection

I recently came across a LinkedIn post from a creator who said she’d been contacted by a few connections who’d asked her to engage with their most recent posts—presumably to find a job or attract their audience. She explained in her post that she values “authenticity” and it’s not authentic for her to like other people’s posts(…?). She said to just “write from your heart”, as if social media algorithms show all of the fantastic content out there. People like this will also be the first to tell you that you aren’t networking enough.

Photo credit Almas Salakhov

Back in February of this year, I took a leap of faith and published my writing for the first time. It is a piece explaining why I’d chosen to stop applying and interviewing at tech companies, and instead forge my own path. When I initially posted it to LinkedIn, I noticed that it was receiving far more impressions than I was used to. As engagement grew, I contacted a much larger creator, Joel Lalgee, who has 200k+ followers, and asked if he could interact with my post. Within minutes, no questions asked, he liked and commented. My post with my most vulnerable thoughts and feelings went viral and my life has changed.

Before that initial post, I had guarded my writing, my thoughts, my creations. I kept them for myself, because I didn’t want to open myself up to criticism, and so I self-sabotaged (that pesky fear of success). But the response I received felt incredibly validating, and I learned that the people who were reading it also felt validated. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your peers.

The biggest point I want to drive home, is that there is room for everyone to reach success and attract our target audiences. Engrained capitalism will have you believe that there is a finite amount of resources: money, customers, opportunities, attention, etc. But there is space and wealth for all of us. For too long I let other people project their lack-mindsets onto me, and with my first attempt at sharing my writing publicly, I gained my first 100 followers on my Substack, and many, many more on LinkedIn.

On this journey, I’m learning that the successful people are those who are willing to “Climb Cringe Mountain” as creator Erica Mallett puts it. With a healthy dose of audacity and consistent, imperfect effort, success is imminent.

Here’s how to get started:

Authenticity is the new aesthetic post

It’s no surprise that my aforementioned viral LinkedIn post was the first time I shared my disdain for the industry I once loved—tech. I shared my personal stories and received an outpouring of support and messages from people who were in the same boat and haven't heard anyone speak candidly about it. The people who are rising are the people who are revealing their authentic selves. 

This isn’t to say you need to reveal your entire life, but the days of ultra aesthetic, posed content are dying, and being replaced with imperfect, messy experiences that the average person can relate to. We can call it “recession-core”.

Consistency is key (but most people won’t try)

You know the drill, you see some random influencer vlogging their life, and it’s pretty basic. But you cannot stop watching. And you’re like, “how does this person have this large of a following?” The answer is simple: they post every single day. The quality of their content is consistent—not necessarily extravagant—and their viewers know exactly what to expect. They figured out their niche by doing.

People with half your talent are achieving twice as much. Because they’re out there doing, while you're still waiting to feel ready. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is right now. - Harjinder Singh Kukreja

The thing is, you can have this following, but it’s going to involve stepping way outside of your comfort zone, and ngasf what your critics (friends, family, colleagues, strangers, etc.) think of you. Believe it or not, people love the voyeuristic nature of peeking into other people’s lives. The Kardashians (as well as any other reality show) are a great example of this. However, we’re all tired of watching billionaires who are detached from reality fly on private jets across LA, while the rest of us toe the line of the recession. That’s where the mid-level influencers comes in. I think Victoria Paris is hilarious, and I love her sense of style.

Take aligned action—imperfectly

Today, you have the opportunity to reach millions of people.

That’s scary, right?

But if  you have any desire to work for yourself, building a community of like-minded people around you is imperative. You can start building now and figure out what your offerings can be later. Those people who you connect with you early on, will be the people who support you throughout your journey. They will think of you when opportunities arise, and they will collaborate with you to create.

TikTok is the discovery platform

Photo credit Daiga Ellaby

No other social network does it quite like TikTok on its For You Page. I haven’t had a fraction of the engagement on any other network, except that one post on LinkedIn. If you consistently post, learn how to navigate the network, and create material that connects with people, I guarantee in time you’ll build a following. Once you have a solid foundation, you can direct your followers and viewers to your products or to platforms that pay more for content creation.

To upgrade the quality of your content, use a tripod, ring light, and the back camera of your phone.

Supporting your mutuals and followers is an investment

We are supporting one another. 

We are raising each other’s voices. 

We do not view others’ success as a threat to our own.

The lack mentality of the past has no place in today’s social media climate. There’s room for all of the coaches, consultants, creatives, etc. to find their customers. Exponential growth is unsustainable. The goal is to build a community and maintain it by nurturing it through community, support, and collaboration.

That said, if you ask me to engage with your post, you got it, babe.