Showing up online might sound easier than it is, or maybe harder, depending on who you ask. Either way though, there’s a lot of unknowns when deciding to be intentional about what you post and being consistent.

In this post, I’m going over the reality of showing up online. The hard truth, and how to overcome some of the day to day struggles.

 

You’ll never please everyone

 

When you start sharing your life online it’s really easy to want to share things that you think will please everyone. Most people begin by treading lightly. They share very minimal things. Superficial stuff that almost anyone would be ok with. But then they start to get more comfortable, and slowly their walls break down. Maybe even sharing something a bit controversial. And all is well until it happens for the first time.

That first hate comment or DM telling you how much of a XYZ you are. Why you should never post ever again, etc.

And all it takes is just one. You might have 200 positive comments, but that one negative will stick with you and make you rethink everything.

 

We crave approval

 

I think inherently, we all crave to be liked by everyone. Even if we say we don’t. No one actually enjoys offending people of course. But the fact of the matter is, we are all different and have different desires and things we like or don’t like.

No matter how you go about it, it’s not a matter of “if” but a matter of “when” you are going to offend someone. Or post about something that someone else disagrees with.

And there’s a lot of people out there who cannot control their fingertips from typing away, making sure you know just how much they disagree with you.

 

Mindset shift

 

A mindset shift is going to need to happen if you are ever going to make it in this crazy internet world.

First, you need to get a backbone. I mean it. You are going to need to learn how to not let negative comments and feedback bother you.

Second, learn how to turn the negatives into a positive. What I usually tell myself anytime someone comments something mean on a post is that “it’s still engagement!”

Even if the comments might not be rainbows and sunshine, they are telling the social media platform to push the post out to more and more people. Ever hear the saying “any press is good press?” I’m not sure how much I actually agree with that, but there are definitely some scenarios where I do!

 

Burn out

 

Another issue a lot of people run into when they start showing up consistently online is burn out. Maybe this has happened to you before?

You start running on your hypothetical hamster wheel and you have a ton of momentum. But over time, all that constant running causes you to slow down and become exhausted and drained. Feeling like you are going no where.

The truth of the matter is, burn out is common in the content creation and social media space. You’re likely to run into it more than a few times. But if you want to avoid it, there are some things you can do as well.

1. Leave space for creative freedom (sometimes when I schedule things too far out I lose my creations inspiration)
2. Batch create in reasonable chunks. Don’t try to batch create 3 months of content in 1 sitting. Break it up into chunks that’s allow you to take good breaks in between and get re-inspired
3. Go outside. Seriously. Take a break and go outside. Take a walk or a shower. Do something to take your mind off your work and then come back to it later.

 

Imposter Syndrome

 

One of the last things I want to mention in terms of showing up online is imposter syndrome. Something we all experience sooner or later.

Imposter syndrome is the doubtful feeling you get in the pit of your stomach like maybe you aren’t qualified to be doing what you’re doing.

Even some of the people at the top of their industry will still experience imposter syndrome at some point. It’s just the price you pay for putting yourself in the public eye.

Something I started doing that has really helped ease these nerves is to consume less and create more.

I found that the more I scrolled and watched what everyone else was doing, the more I felt like I was not on their level.

But when I stopped looking around and started just paying attention to my own lane, I felt better, and my social platforms grew because of it.

 

Dive in deeper

 

A perfect example of what all is discussed in this post is Ballerina Farms. I did an episode on the Every Successful Rancher podcast about their story and the controversy that has followed them since they started posting about their lifestyle online. You can check that out here.

If you are someone who does post online to grow your brand or your business, I highly recommend checking out The Social Herd, my content resource center for rural entrepreneurs and creatives. It has a variety of tools to help you save time and succeed online!