How to Build a Brand Online Without Sacrificing Your Brain Cells
Thrive, but mindfully.
It’s never been this easy to build your personal brand, an online business, and attract opportunities. All from a Wi-Fi connection!
The internet is amazing, but can screw you quickly if you aren’t mindful of a few things. And most of the time you won’t even know before it’s too late.
I’ve experienced what it’s like to go viral on LinkedIn with millions of views and what it’s like to grow my Twitter account from zero to a few thousand followers with an engaged audience.
I experienced negativity when I was an ‘Instagram influencer’ years ago and deleted my account because I couldn’t wake up every day to think about how I look. Also, to spending hours on Lightroom editing my pictures.
Social media can totally elevate your career, but here’s how to do it mindfully to thrive. Make it work for you, and not against you.
Why Should You Use It?
Writing online changed my life.
It helped me create a side hustle, get client work without fetching it, and helped me establish an online business I didn’t have the guts to dream of.
Ultimately, it supported me enough to quit my job to do something I have so much fun doing.
Here are ways it can help you.
- Personal branding: Everybody is a brand today. It’s never been easier to create it at a pace this fast. Just go out and write about what you stand for and what you believe in. Give value, expect nothing.
- Gaining visibility: if you’re looking for more eyes because your content is valuable, this is how you get it done. Even doctors have YouTube channels today to get clients. The more eyes you get, the more you sell your offerings or knowledge.
- Side hustling: if you’re looking to build a side hustle and make money online, it helps you noise on the internet. It’s not essential, but helps you land opportunities instead of fetching them.
- Thought leadership: I’ve had executives with decades of experience come and tell me they have so much to say about life or their expertise and want to write on LinkedIn. You can establish yourself as a thought leader by a few minutes of writing each day.
- Builds an audience: the consequence of all of this is that you build an audience who cannot wait to learn or hear from you.
The barrier to entry has never been this low because literally anyone can hop on and start writing or creating online today. It’s that easy, which also makes it so competitive.
Now, the second part.
How Can This Harm Me?
The usual human mind, you know. It's easy to get addicted to social media platforms and be affected by them.
Think of seeing people vacationing and living their best lives while you’re on the bus back home after a tiring day spent at work. It feels unfair.
You inadequate and unhappy.
But there are other things too, such as:
- Stats: when you publish something, it’s easy to keep refreshing your stats in hopes of seeing them rise. (Fun fact: stats don’t go up by refreshing)
- Comparing: this is natural. I recently saw a sub-average story perform incredibly well and thought I have better stories, yet they didn’t get that kind of response. It’s so easy, and terrible, that we constantly compare ourselves to others.
- Slow growth: growing on the internet is a slow process. It’s why many people come, perform, crib, and leave instead of sticking to relentlessly putting in the work.
- Pressure to be present: whoever needs to hear this — you don’t have to be online every minute of the day to respond. It’s okay to delay responses. Social networks make it sound urgent when it really isn’t. Don’t fall for it.
- Dopamine rush: Likes and comments release dopamine, the pleasure hormone. It's addictive and makes you hop on the platform again and again wanting for more. This is lethal.
All this can actually take you down because you’re operating from a sense of feeling ‘not good enough’.
When I was on Instagram, seeing how many people followed and unfollowed me weekly took a toll on how I felt about my self worth. Isn’t that a rather negative relationship to have with yourself?
It’s much better when you have fun instead of being pressurised.
How You Can Save Yourself From This
Be mindful about a few things so you don’t put yourself in this dirty trap. It’s endless. There is always somebody above another person and focussing on that is a downward spiral of negativity.
Here are some things that I do that should help you:
Have a schedule
I don’t mean a content calendar. Though you can have that unless you’re super lazy like me. But a rough schedule of how often to publish and where. It makes you disciplined and helps you show up.
Create a process
I don’t write and edit at the same time. I edit in the morning after the day of writing an article, or later than that sometimes.
I also schedule my tweets for the week in advance to avoid hopping onto Twitter again and again.
Having a process helps you prevent getting overwhelmed by creating.
It should probably be on notes
When you get an idea for anything, even if it's a product idea, put it on notes and see it later.
Don’t give it the power to distract you.
Make technology work for you instead of it owning you.
Delete your apps
It’s okay to detox from social media on weekends by deleting your apps. You can always reinstall them later. Spend your free time on the weekday or weekends doing better things than mindlessly scrolling.
After all, it eats your finite time rather quickly!
Know what's not in control
Your likes, views, and comments are not in your control. No outcome is in your control, but the output is. Focus on what you can control and direct your energies there.
It’ll help you stay in the present instead of overthinking and feeling bad.
Have fun
Consistency is non-negotiable to ace online platforms. And having fun in the process helps you show up even when things aren’t going your way.
The only reason I write so much is because I genuinely enjoy it.
It's fun when things are more ‘play’ and less ‘work. Prioritise enjoying the process.
Too much of anything can be harmful.
And with something being so prevalent and also helpful if done well, it’s important to be mindful and channel your energies in the right direction.
I hope this helps you tap into the potential of the internet without sacrificing your sanity for it.
It can do you a lot of good, but it’s important to keep feeling good while you’re at it.
Best of luck!
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