Want to Grow Your Social Media? Keep This in Mind

I opened my Instagram, Twitter & YouTube accounts just over 5 years ago. The main reason for opening them was to share my photography. Little did I know that half a decade later, I would have amassed a six figure following and managed to make a small living from what is essentially a hobby.

However during this time I have learned many valuable lessons. Some of these were a byproduct of the job experience while others were as a result of mistakes and set backs. In this blog I will share with you five of these lessons that I wish I knew from the start.

Clearly outline what is private and what is public

As your account will grow, you will see your audience shifting from what you do to who you are. People are naturally curious especially about a person they like or whose work they admire. However if we don’t have a clear boundary of what is public and what remains private, we can find ourselves on a slippery slope to where our entire existence is on show for everyone.

I can’t tell you where your line should be but I can share mine in the hopes of explaining this further. I will never share details of my family, home life and relationships. Now and then you might see a photo or video of my girlfriend or my mum but that’s it. Same goes for my home friends (the ones not on social media). If I ever have a family, I will not plaster my kid all over the internet. I also will not share my day to day life and in general keep most of my life outside of what you know me for, private.

I love my privacy and having this clear boundary. However you might be different. There is no right or wrong. However having this set from the start means that you will not have any regrets or end up in hot water later down the line. The only thing I can say is that as my popularity on social media has grown, so has my desire to share as little as possible outside of what I am known for.

Whatever you post is permanent

Everything you put on the internet is permanently in existence even if you delete it. This is especially true if you post opinions on certain topics which might be taboo or go against popular belief. In todays cancel culture world, people have nothing better to do with their time than to go through something you said or posted 10 years ago and try to call you out on it. This also ties in with the first point about sharing your private life online…

Have a clear “why”

Everyone uses social media for different reasons. Everyone also wants to grow their social media for different reasons. My advice is to have a good idea why you want to grow your social media. Perhaps it is to get your work out to as many people as possible. Or maybe it’s to turn it into a business. It could even be to use your reach to create some kind of positive change and help others. By having a clear idea why you started and where you’re going, it will help you stay on track and not deviate when other factors come into play such as brand deals and money.

Be ready for trolls, criticism and even bullying

Having an online presence and dealing with trolls go hand in hand. My advice is to first separate legitimate critical feedback from the noise. If someone leaves a negative comment but it is polite and respectful, look into what they are trying to say. Perhaps they spotted a mistake or an area in which you can improve in. Put your ego aside and look into whether their comment can benefit you.

However general nasty comments, rudeness, trolls and bullies are easy to spot. The first thing I do is block them. No second chances and no letting them explain themselves. Your social media profile is your little corner of the internet and you have the right to control who can participate. Once you’ve blocked them, try your best to not take what they said personally.

Look at it this way… find someone you look up to or someone who is successful and I bet they are not sitting online leaving shitty comments. The only people that do that are losers who are frustrated with their own miserable lives so they take it out on others. Over time you will have a thick skin and it will be like water of a ducks back.

Batch all social media interaction

Social media is already addictive so once you mix your hobby or even worse your work with having to use social media, and it is a slippery slope towards spending hours stuck on these apps. It is easy to justify it too, as you label it ‘work’… so you always let yourself get away with it. However it is also important to put some time into your profile and although there are many different ways to manage your time on these apps, I found that batching is the best way to do it. By batching I mean setting aside time during the day where all you do is social media. However outside of these hours, you do not touch it. Perhaps you need one hour a day or maybe two. Set that time aside and get everything social media related done within that time.