Cut The Crap And Be Authentic On Social Media
An Influx In Fake People
I have noticed that social media has an abundance of fake people. Not fake in the sense that the actual profiles are “robots” but fake in that some people are not who they say they are. For example, there are so many people on social media platforms such as Instagram, who are trying to showcase exaggerated or completely fake lifestyles in an attempt to build a following. So if you are one of these people, I got news for you. The world knows you are full of crap.
Fake Persona’s Are Not Fooling Anyone
If you haven’t noticed by now, social networks like Instagram have had a surge of fake lifestyle accounts in which people try to stage their profiles to showcase a fitness, adventurous or luxurious lifestyle that they don’t necessarily live. For example, due to the number of phony lifestyle accounts on Instagram a fake female lifestyle account called, “Louise Delage” was created by the Addicte Aide. This account was created in an effort to raise awareness about alcoholism in young people. The campaign was an overnight success because every picture on this fake lifestyle account had alcohol in it and still grew to over 66,000 followers in under a month.
But creating a fake persona that isn’t for an ad campaign, is definitely not a long-term strategy especially if you want to grow a social media following. So for the sake of your “personal brand” and reputation, you owe it to yourself to be authentic and showcase your true identity. Authenticity is crucial especially if you want to become an industry expert or influencer because trust is one of the most important elements to gaining followers and supporters.
The Power Of Authenticity
One notable example regarding the power of authenticity is from a famous comedian named, Joey Diaz. On an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, Joey Diaz explained that when he first started doing stand up comedy he tried to be someone that he wasn’t. When he first started off he tried wearing a suit and telling clean jokes but as he explained on the podcast, this fake persona came across phony because that wasn’t who he actually was. Furthermore, he explained that his “phony” persona didn’t resonate with the crowd because the audience could see right through his staged personality.
Therefore, the minute he took off his prim and proper suit and started telling jokes that were rude and related to his life, he captured a niche audience for his stand up comedy. Basically, Joe Rogan summed up Joey’s journey of authenticity perfectly by saying that the minute Joey was comfortable being himself on stage was when his career took off, like turning on a light switch.
Build A Personal Brand Around Your Life
So my suggestion to you on your journey is to build your personal brand around your actual lifestyle, personality, and uniqueness. Don’t try to be someone that you aren’t just to gain some followers on Twitter or Instagram. Be real with yourself and trust me, you will be able to create a more loyal audience around your personal brand that will also be easier to manage in the long run.
Personally, I take pride in my authentic personal brand, so check out my lifestyle Instagram account, @iambradthompson to see what I mean.
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Bradley Thompson
Founder of Living The Canadian DreamBradley Thompson is a very Canadian lifestyle blogger, digital marketer and growth hacker from Toronto who is passionate about inspiring people through his blog and vlog. Although he lives a busy life he is dedicated to personal growth, developing his expertise and growing his blog, "Living the Canadian dream"!