Today’s post is about Instagram & the small business owner. I’m looking at you, Instagram biz accounts, and you know it. Some of you bask in it. And then, others of you are terrified by it. I dedicate this to you…the shy ones.
You don’t want to be seen by the social media universe, even for a few brief seconds. I completely understand because I don’t either. I’d rather see it all go away. If you were to ask me what one thing I would throw into Mount Doom this very moment, I would, without hesitation, say “social media.” Unfortunately, one of the craziest, nut-job things about the world of small business today is that we have to put so much of ourselves on these platforms in order to grow.
A few months ago, I listened to small biz boss Somer Phoebus as she taught a class for She Works His Way about scaling back your business to make room for growth. She talked about how that relates to finances, scheduling, product offerings, etc. But, the biggest takeaway I had from the class was when she said, “maybe God is trying to scale back all the YOU.”
It struck me that while I have been hiding away from social media and the attention of others, I’ve really been making it all about me. I don’t want to be seen, therefore, I’m not sharing my business the way God has called me to. If I were going to take the “me” out of the equation, I would be able to bring my work, the product I’m selling, and the message I’m sending into the light of social media without fearing what people will think of me. Because it isn’t about me.
For the longest time, Instagram was only pictures. The account holder could use her words in the caption, but no scary videos of her face or house or mess were required. Nowadays, thanks to that word that is fast becoming a new expletive – ALGORITHM – if you’re not connecting with your audience in stories, your engagement suffers and people aren’t seeing any of your actual posts like they used to. It’s pretty lame.
But, given this new nature of the beast, it’s important to engage. I mean, it sounds stupid, but it really kind of is my job. Again, I could ego trip and hide, or I could put my big girl Instagram filters on and start sharing the what and the why behind my business, and maybe even the who, without fear.
Jump into the comments and leave a note if you understand where I’m coming from. Or, if you love social media and don’t see what the big deal is, leave a note of encouragement for your sisters who struggle. We need you! 🙂
–SONG
