How to develop followers.
Growing a business in the age of social media. Part 1.
Here is the scenario:
You’re a writer. A good one, maybe even dare you to think a great one. You have a ton of ideas, poems been writing for years, maybe a story or two. All this time hiding your craft in a box under the bed. But now you’re ready to come out of your shell. You see so many people on Medium, with blogs, using Instagram, and think to yourself: I’m going to do this too.
So where do I/ you start?
It’s a chaotic ecosystem, the WWW. Growing up having a computer my whole life- it’s still hard. It could be hard for those who don’t know the first thing about social media, networking, or content creation. Sometimes an almost insurmountable task that holds us back from sharing our craft with the world. It’s like this barrier, real or imagined, that cages our words locking up our fingers from the keyboard and crippling our steam. But it doesn’t have to be.
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We can admit tasks might be daunting. But they are doable. Everything with a little elbow grease is doable. The only thing we can’t do- is what we believe we can’t do. So the idea of entering the world of writing is more about belief and effort. Nothing beats hard work.
So now we started to post our writing. Finally. On our dedicated writing Instagram, Facebook, and Medium. Zero likes, zero claps, and zero red hearts. It goes back to the old saying, “If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound?” The same thing goes for writing. You could be the greatest writer in the world- but if no one ever reads or hears from you, can you say you are a writer at all? And since the basis of being a good writer is, in fact, being a good reader, if you aren’t actively reading other people's words, can you really say you’re apart of the hashtag “Writing Community?”
Literary leeches are what I call them. Or Lit Leech. Don’t google it. I’m pretty sure I just made that up.
A Literary Leech is;
Someone who constantly self promotes, constantly begs for attention yet contributes nothing to the whole of the writing community.
Much like psychic vampires, they suck the life out of Twitter, out of Instagram, and Facebook. There is no higher energy, no sense of community, no vibes, and, more importantly, no connection.
Look- promotion is an integral part of being successful at every level of business development. If you are a writer trying to make a living off the craft, you have to promote yourself. But the key is striking that delicate balance between promoting yourself and supporting others.
Striking Balance
I want to share a personal conversation I had with a friend about sharing their writing. She has an MFA in Poetry from a prestigious college. She’s a college professor, a mom of two, and I really, really, really wish she had a Medium so I can tag her in this article- One day. But context first. She didn’t want to “sell-out” to Instagram Poets, short-form catchy half-cocked statements bracketed under “poetry” now- that statement isn’t to devalue micropoetry or short form at all; it’s to illustrate what’s “popular” on a lot of these platforms. With that being said, Reddits poetry community is bursting with longer poems. Needless to say that art mimics life. Everything is poetry in the truest sense.
So what is poetry?
Expression of Imagination
We are all just trying to express our imaginations in one way or another. Even this article, to some extent, is me expressing my idea or imagination to the reader to share a point of view, a “technical skill,” a “Product” I “Carefully Choose” words to express a meaning. And that meaning is for “others to experience.”
That’s why good writing and good art mimics life. So on with the text message.
Ok, so if at first, you’re thinking to yourself, “Holy shit, this dude is a horrible texter.” then you would be correct. I can’t spell for shit. My grammar is terrible, and I use commas where they aren’t needed, and my crutch is the dash. But let’s break down what I wanted to say in this message.
Dear Whomever,
I want you to know you don’t have to write like anyone else. All you have to write like is yourself. Each one of us has a special voice inside. This voice is unique to you. You are the only person that lived your life. And that is special because with each life comes a set of viewpoints, experiences, and education (both formal and informal). These are the things that influence our Expression of Imagination, or in other words, our writing/art. That is what is special about you- and each one of us. So you, need to do you. And that’s it. Your truth- your honesty will attract people. But in the process of coming to be-, you have to make a conscious decision to put down your ego. You have to put down the idea that you are the end-all of craft. We have to stop selling out to sell in. We have to stop waiting for the right publisher or the right time or the right scenario- because we could be waiting our whole lives. And since all we are ever really guaranteed is this moment because who knows where we will be tomorrow. So Forget about all of it. Forget about everything everyone tells you about, “making it in this business.” Forget about all the how-to’s erase your idea of “what you know” and start being “who you are.” More people will connect with authenticity than with education, knowledge, or skills. More people will connect with the heart than with any amount of followers. The energy of positivity and belief will carry you to where you need to go. So forget about all of it. Humble yourself enough to do what you have to do to become what you want to become. The only thing that holds writers back is themselves. Their often bloated sense of self and their ego. They often underappreciate the craft of other people. Everyone knows something we don’t know- so everyone's writing/art is filled with influences of things we may never have experienced, but through their words, we can connect with them. The reason I know this- is because I was that bloated writer full of himself without a single word published saying, “I’m the greatest.” All I was great at was being full of shit. I realized the value of reading, engaging in other people's craft. And that connection far more outweighed the importance of mine. The energy and the connection have to be sincere. It’s showing people your spirit through a screen with no smile, no hug, no pat on the back- just an often meaningless red heart. We are all a finger click away from trivializing love. It’s not about clicking or clapping (even tho both help- so def do it), but it’s more about being present in someones else life for that one second. And in that one single moment, we become forever. Sharing ideas across lives, across space and time, in different timelines and lifetimes, we connect each other dots through our words and the written history of distant constellations. We become the headline. We reach out beyond what we ever thought we would be to become something more- just by connecting. We become apart of the Orchestra, serenading our hearts with the sound of each other. The helping hand-clapping us on to become the best versions of ourselves. And it is only with Honest interaction do we find out who we really are and then become who we are destined to be. Don’t let your talent get in the way of love. Don’t allow your talent to cause cloudy judgment. Don’t let your talent get in the way of your success. the only bad poem is the one not written. The only bad feeling is the one not shared. The only wasted life is the one not lived. So don’t hide behind the idea of what we could be. Just be it. Don’t hide from the sunshine because we can still see your shadow the only one who loses the light by turning its back is you. So go forward and be who you always dreamed of being. So catch the rain from the rainbows and chase the starlight because you have eternity at your fingertips. Let your imagination run wild and the fires of excitement spread like wildfire. There will always be people that’ll try to put you out. But the rest of them you’ll set their hearts ablaze just being you.
So what does this have to do with getting followers?
There’s a big difference between trying and being when you find the place inside you that loves what you’re doing. That all you can think of is waking up in the morning creating, writing, and like I’ve been alluding to- reading. Reading and making meaningful connections with other people doing exactly what you’re doing. When you’re honest, when you’re present, people will see you for your truth when you’re confident in your intentions. Honesty is infectious. Sincerity is the only sickness you want to die from. People don’t need another writer. People need more readers and more listeners. Become that, and you will become everything.
Sincerely,
Someone who has fucked up everything-
I screwed up everything just to find what I always looked for was right there the whole time. It is, in fact, the bridges we burn that push us in the direction we need to be. Just make sure you’re on the side you want to be on when you set the world ablaze. So do the next right thing for the next right reason and just be yourself. That’s all you ever need to be.
If you want a friend or someone to check out your writing, follow me. Reply to this and say you’d like to connect, and I will respond!
Part 2 to follow…
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