You know what I admire about the young besides their ability to stay awake past midnight?
Their seeming fearlessness in participating on social media.
Maybe it’s because we’ve had a camera on them nearly 24/7 since they were born, but they don’t seem to suffer from the self-consciousness that often silences me. They tweet passing thoughts on a whim and Instagram pics of whatever catches their eye. I agonize over posts worrying about whether I sound clever enough, about what my high school boyfriend will think, about whether a semicolon might be more appropriate. Theirs is a public conversation among acquaintances and affinity groups. Mine feels like an awkward performance for family and colleagues. Throw in “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” and sometimes my accounts languish for weeks.
But I always return. I once tweeted “Hi Twitter. I know I treat you like the gym – on again, off again – but I’m back. Feel free to kick my butt.” Clever, right? Just like the youngsters, I have the need to share with my family, to feel connected to friends, and to talk shop with my professional community.
Wanting to be social on social media feels natural but so too are the feelings of vulnerability that come with something so public.
I get the most out of social media when I’m part of the give and take of the stream—the two-way conversation that happens as I post and others post—so I thought I would share the things I keep in mind when trying to find my voice.
#1 There’s No One Way to Participate
Speaking up starts with raising your hand and saying, “I’m here,” and there are as many ways to do that as there are social media channels, some requiring more courage than others, some requiring better Photoshop skills than others.
Liking or “heart-ing” is participating. It’s an endorsement, an acknowledgement. Retweeting and sharing is participating and also demonstrates your ability to recognize the brilliant and the beautiful. You can comment, answer a question, participate in a poll, post a picture, or write a review. Reaching out can take many forms and often doesn’t require the wit of a comedian or the intellect of a scholar.
#2 People Appreciate Curation
If you’re an avid reader or news hound, then you’re set. There’s a smorgasbord of online journalism to partake of. Heck, there may be more blog posts than people at this point. And what’s content marketing doing if not flooding the internet with even more relevant insight about whatever niches you claim or markets you aspire to own.
Thankfully, someone else is reading it, evaluating it, and sharing it. Try to be that person for others when you can.
#3 Lurking Is Not as Creepy as It Sounds
Sometimes all that’s required is your presence. It’s OK to retreat, to be silent, to passively take it in and let it wash over you like Food Network TV. You’ll be all the better poised to contribute when the mood strikes you.
#4 It’s All Ephemera
Mostly remember that whatever you say won’t be around long. On Twitter and Instagram, posts are chronological so no sooner is your post public in a feed, then it is buried under subsequent posts from others. And even on Facebook where the algorithm works to resurrect highly-engaging content from the past, a post would have to be spectacularly dumb and friends especially cruel to stay in anyone’s newsfeed for long.
That’s not to say that your social media won’t be able to haunt you for years to come, but everyone throws out a few ill-conceived missives after a glass of wine on an empty stomach. Taken in aggregate with your other output, they will only serve to humanize the digital you.
Lastly, just know that if you have a pet or children, social media nearly takes care of itself. If you have neither, knit.
Meet the Faculty: Donna Lehmann
Higher Ed Experts is a professional online school for digital professionals working in universities and colleges.
When you take a professional certificate course with us, you get a chance to upgrade your skills by working on your projects, interacting with classmates just like you and getting detailed personalized feedback from your instructor.
Donna Lehmann is the Interim Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at Fordham University. She has taught many higher education professionals the art and science of writing for the web and social media.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in American Literature from Kansas State University and completed coursework toward a PhD at the University of Delaware. She is also a graduate of the Higher Ed Experts web writing certificate program.
Donna teaches Higher Ed Expert’s 4-week online course on Web Writing for Higher Education.
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