What is UP my friends and fellow busybees. Today I wanted to change things up a little bit and jump into a territory we haven’t yet ventured too far into yet on the podcast: the world of social media. For some, it might be considered the big, bad world of social media. For some, it might be something that could be classified as more of an addiction… no judgments here though, this is a safe space because I, too, cringe anytime my phone is rude and the Screen Time app pops up and shows me how I spent my day. Like, I thought we were friends Apple, why you gotta do me dirty like that?
Whatever your relationship with social media may be, I am going to go out on a limb here and assume that if you are listening to this podcast, you likely have at least one social media account. And you may even use it for business purposes, or even just to show off your hobby or side hustle that you have and if so, you might be trying to grow it.
Personally, I’ve always been a fan of social media. I’m part of that generation that grew up essentially being the test run for social media when we were trying to figure it all out in its early era and we would take our digital cameras to the beach with friends and stage photoshoots where we would make stars with our fingers and pose like Charlie’s Angels and throw up a peace sign like there’s no tomorrow. Then we would go home and excitedly create a new online album and upload all 255 of the photos online for everyone to see. They even eventually released the feature where you could tag your friends! Ah… what a time to be alive.
And if you were born in the year 2000 or later, you might think I’m joking when I say that my generation was the test run for social media, but we really kind of were. Not a big deal but I was an early adopter of Facebook back in the day thanks to my friend Ali who set up an account for me, and that was back when you still had to pretend like you attended an Ivy League school in order to be able to create an account. That was when MySpace was still hot, and I basically just spent all of my time on MSN messenger instead of on social media sites. And, just so we’re clear, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok were nowhere near being close to being introduced to the masses at that time. So yeah, I’m getting kind of old I guess.
But because of that, I feel like I have always been pretty interested in technology and social media and new platforms that emerge, just because I’ve always been interested in it. For anyone who doesn’t know, I am an only child and I grew up in… essentially the middle of nowhere. Like in the middle of the woods. My closest neighbour was my extended family, and other than that, it was a solid 15 minute drive or so before you would encounter anyone else. All that to say is that I grew up learning how to entertain myself before the Internet was a big thing, and then once I discovered these platforms where you could connect with people from all over and you wouldn’t have to beg your parents to get them to drive you to your friend’s house 45 minutes away just to socialize with someone, I was hooked.
As I created my MelDidItHerself account on Instagram and began trying to grow it, my approach to social media has definitely evolved from what I had been using it for in my personal life, like posting photos from trips I was on, with my friends, family and partner, and other pretty pictures I snapped throughout my day. I soon discovered that in order to grow, I needed to keep at least a little bit up-to-date with the platform and its features, push myself out of my comfort zone a bit, and get strategic about what I was putting out into the world.
And speaking of getting strategic - have you checked in lately on yourself and your newly-created business or soon-to-be created furniture painting and refinishing business? If not, I have just the thing for you! I have created a free guide and checklist for starting an official furniture painting and refinishing business because I know we’re here to work on some pretty pieces and not to get bogged down in learning all there is to know about business, taxes, organization systems and more. So take my hand and let me walk you through it - I promise it won’t be scary. If you’re interested, head grab that today and we can get started together so that you can get back to your workshop and pick that sander up right where you left it.
Today’s episode was going to be about how to keep up with content creation on social media, and I will do an episode on that soon because I do have some great tips that I’d love to share, but I thought I should first take a step back for today’s episode. I recently got a message from someone on Instagram who listens to the podcast and they were asking how I put myself out there online and show off my work, and whether that just comes naturally, and I thought I should start here first when I introduce the topic of social media and content creation on the podcast.
The answer to the question is no, it absolutely does not come naturally to me to broadcast myself, my life, my business, my face, my work and my voice online. Like I said, I’m an only child that grew up in the middle of nowhere– I grew up being so shy. Like SO shy. I would say it’s only been within the last 6 years or so that I’ve really come out of my shell, and that was by me forcing myself out of my comfort zone, because it doesn’t come naturally to me.
Even this, here, talking into a microphone that I know people will be listening to while they’re painting away in their workshop or out for a walk or driving home from dropping off their kids or folding their laundry.. This doesn’t just inherently come naturally to me either. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t love it and really enjoy it - it just means that I do have to push past that instinctive inclination I have to quietly retreat into my shell and keep to myself, and instead just do the damn thing. So if you are someone who has found it difficult, I hope that can offer you some reassurance that we are all on our own paths trying to figure this all out!
And if you’re someone who has thought about starting a social media account to show off your furniture work, or maybe wanted to try and build yourself as a brand and creator alongside that, or maybe you did actually create the account but you’re having a hard time showing up on there, I hope this episode will be helpful to you. And if you get some value from it, I’d love if you’d send me a DM on Instagram @MelDidItHerself or send me an email, because I always love hearing feedback from you when certain things in the episodes really resonate with you. It’s a great positive reinforcement for me to keep doing what I’m doing, and it helps me to know what kinds of things are helpful for you in your journey, as well.
So if you do have one of those new, or soon-to-be-created accounts, I have some good news: a low amount of followers is a good thing. This means you can start to get your footing and get the hang for the platform that you choose with less eyes on you during the trial and error process, and these first few or few hundred or few thousand people will likely be ones that become your biggest supporters, because they saw you when you were like a baby deer learning how to walk, all the way to the confident, cool buck you’re going to turn into. Or some other better thought out metaphor about wildlife.
So use this time to the fullest! Don’t have the mentality of “well, I only have 10 people following me, why would I put effort into what I’m posting if only my mom, a couple of my friends and a couple strangers are going to see it?” because I guarantee those people are going to encourage and cheer you on.
Have you ever heard anyone refer to the 10,000 hour rule? It’s the notion that it takes 10,000 hours of practice of whatever you want to learn how to do in order to become a master of it. 10,000 hours… sounds like a lot of Instagram Reels to edit before you’re going to be the best you have the potential to be, doesn’t it?
So try not to overthink it right now and just do. Do the damn thing. Post the Before and After photos. Try out a voiceover tutorial if you’d like and post it on TikTok. Add a story to your Facebook showing what you’re working on in the workshop today. Whatever it is, just showing up and doing your best with what you have today is enough. Did you hear that? If you’re multitasking, come back to me, because I really want you to hear this. Just showing up and doing your best, with whatever it is that you have or don’t have today, is enough.
My biggest recommendation overall when it comes to creating content and posting on social media is to set your own rules for however often you’re going to show up based on whatever works for your life and your schedule, and whatever it is, just be consistent and stick with it.
There’s tons of social media gurus who will say that the magic number to growth is posting once per day, or three times per day, or once a week, and their recommendations will change day after day… the reality is, there’s no magic number, there’s no magic involved, but if you show up consistently, you will see consistent growth. It won’t happen every time you check in on your numbers, but some days nothing will happen and some days you’ll get tens or hundreds or thousands of new followers. I’ve seen friends on Instagram go from 1 thousand to 2 thousand to 5 thousand to over 100 thousand followers in a matter of days. The elusive algorithm we all talk about isn’t worth trying to hack - just do you, and the right people will show up.
Too nervous to show up at all? Well then, let’s talk about that. First off, you don’t need to have social media. There is no gun to your head, and it is entirely within your right to remain offline if you so choose. However, it is a great business tool that a lot of people choose to learn to build their brand or business. So if you have decided that yes, I’m going to do it and I will get better at showing up on it, what is holding you back?
Are you shy? Let’s unpack that a bit- what is shyness? Because you’re not face-to-face with someone, you’re alone in your room talking to a camera lens. Can that be awkward and weird and somehow intimidating when you first do it? Sure, but that’s not being timid while being in the company of other people (which is the definition of being shy, by the way, because I had to look it up because I was like wait, how is that concept even defined anyway?!).
So are you too shy, or are you telling yourself you’re shy? Is your identity rooted in you being shy? Did someone tell you once that you’re shy, and so you just kind of went for it? Or… maybe you’re nervous you might be judged by others when you put yourself out there online. I can totally get that. I felt uneasy about that at first, too.
Honestly, it might be very basic advice that sounds annoying, but you gotta just throw that in the Fuck It Bucket. People’s opinion of you is none of your business, period. On the internet, or in your everyday life. Do you want to spend your life, your one chance on this earth, worrying that someone you’ve never met who lives somewhere you’ll never go thinks that your hair is messy, or that your furniture painting isn’t up to par? Pardon my French my friend but who fucking cares? That sounds like a Them problem.
Because if you are showing up authentically, and being yourself, and doing what you love and showing off your creations, your art, your passion to the world… how much of a bummer that person must be to show up, see that, and find something negative about it to think or point out. They must have an absolutely miserable existence. But that doesn’t matter, because you’re here living your best life and being yourself and if that’s not good enough for them, well then again, they don’t have a gun to their head, they don’t have to follow you. Would you want someone like that as a part of your community anyway?
And of course, I’m not going to act like those people don’t exist. There’s shitty people who say shitty things. There are trolls on the Internet or keyboard warriors or whatever it is that people call those Internet tough guys. But let it be water off a duck’s back, and focus instead on the others who are there supporting and encouraging and loving you and what you do. Those are the ones who deserve your time and attention and energy, not the ones looking to get attention by riling you up.
Now, maybe you find it hard to think of what to post. Maybe you work slowly through your projects and you have already posted about the most recent furniture makeover you did and so you feel like you’re at a standstill. First of all, don’t always feel the need to create content for the sake of creating it just so you can put a post up. But also, you can show up without posting a photo or a Reel or something- instead, try showing up on your stories! You might think that whatever you’re up to isn’t important enough to put on there, but trust me, even if it seems mundane to you, someone will enjoy it. Maybe a lot of people. You never know until you try. Some of the stories I get the most engagement and replies to is when I share about a new item I got from Costco or something that I made for dinner or something else that I would think would be boring or mundane, but is in fact relatable to others. So share away!
Another important thing to remember is that, to put it bluntly, you’re your own favourite person and nobody else’s. Harsh, I know, but I think this is a helpful reminder in life in general, too. You think that everyone is seeing every single thing you do and hanging onto your every word and seeing every piece of content you post and watching every story you upload the second it goes up and scrutinizing your makeup or your zit or your hair or your voice or the way you accidentally mispronounced that one word that one time… they’re not. They’re preoccupied thinking about that stuff about themselves that they hardly are noticing you’re there.
They might love you and your content, but they’re distracted because our tiny minds have the attention span of a fruit fly now. So, in the off chance that they happened to catch that blunder of yours, they have absolutely forgotten about it 5 minutes later. Even the biggest scandal and tragedies and big news that gets alllllll the attention of millions and millions of people… gets that attention for what, maybe a week at most? Then something else comes along and snags our attention and we all forget about that other thing that is so last week.
So don’t worry about it too much, because the exciting reality is, we are a one singular person in one singular town in one singular country on one singular continent on one singular planet in one singular milky way in one singular solar system in one singular galaxy… you get the point. And don’t fact check the progression of those astronomy references because I didn’t and I haven’t studied that since about Grade 11 so it’s likely factually incorrect. But you understand the point I’m trying to make - in the kindest way possible, let me remind you that none of us matter. Which is great! Because then you can show up authentically and true to yourself and do what you want because it makes you happy and not have to worry about making any life-ruining decisions.
If you don’t want to show your face, then don’t. If you want to be able to share your face but aren’t comfortable with that yet, just share photos with text over it. Then maybe you’ll get more comfortable and do a video with text over it. Then maybe eventually a video with you talking in the background. Then eventually maybe you’ll even do a video of yourself where you’re talking. It all comes in time, and with practice and just putting those hours in. I get it, it’s weird to see yourself and to knit pick all the little things you don’t like about yourself, but we are leaving that energy behind. Bad boss bitch energy only moving forward, got it?
And something you may not know about me… I love little motivational messages. They literally always get me fired up, and I keep a running list of ones that are especially catchy or speak to me in the Notes app on my phone. So I’m going to end every podcast episode with one of those that I have noted down over the years, in hopes that you leave our time here each week feeling inspired, motivated, and ready to take on whatever comes your way that week.
So this week’s Mel’s motivational message is: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard - heard on the Social Media Marketing School podcast.
Alright, that’s it for now, I appreciate your time, and I’ll catch you guys next week!
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