SOCIAL MEDIA

WANNA SHARE? THINK!

We all love social media right? Posting our pics, expressing emotions, thoughts, feelings on status, connecting with friends and loved ones via messages. For me I love the ease of access to anyone, at all times, wherever you are. If only you have data and the network is good. Haha.😀

I’m not here to blab about the good of social media we all know it but let us consider this; you are what you post! Don’t agree? Read on!

Who you are is defined through your posts on social media (WhatsApp d.p& status, Facebook, Instagram etc.). What you post about yourself may be true or false but your audience is going to take what they see. Why do you usually check the profile of those who contact you on social media (esp. friend requests on Facebook), because it gives you an idea about who the person is and what they are about. Same way others too check your profile to know who you are and what you are about. The information you put there may be limited or the sum of your life that’s up to you to decide. However bear in mind that the information there is important in shaping what people think about you and the opportunities that come your way. Hello!  You have an audience; the world is a global village.

For those who post and later do a follow up that their posts are different from them and their circumstances It is a LOL for me. Truth is, there are some people you may never meet but would need who are going to make an opinion of you through what you post. A research I chanced upon while writing my proposal for communication research, indicated that HR’s do a background check on job applicants on the social media. They check the social media accounts of job applicants and reject all applicants who have nude pictures, illiterate spellings, sexual content, rude comments and pictures with alcohol in their hands.

Listen, you are brand on your own and how you market and present this brand (yourself) locally and internationally is seen on your social media account. The media is the mirror of society, same way, your social media account is a reflection of who you are (personality, beliefs, values, lifestyle, and attitudes). In my media and society class we analyse what happens in society (culture, beliefs and values) and how is thrown back at us through the news, adverts, music, TV and radio programs. The difference is that, this time around what we see on the media is either exaggerated or diminished. The case is no different from our personal accounts, so why don’t you get a bit intentional or preferably strategic with the posts.

You want to show the world you have good looks; great, because not everyone is. You want to advertise your products, great it’s the easiest way to sell. You want to show you are motivational speaker, great; we all need some at certain points. You want to show you are brainy, great; because everyone has different IQ’s. I’m not here to tell what to do on social media all I want you to know is that you communicate to the world, who you are with or by your posts.

 I have been at various seminars and heard people talk about how they got opportunities (employments, projects etc.) by the personality (brand) they had built with social media. You might be faking it or what you are might be different from what you post but fact is your audience is going to take and believe what they see. There are serious people who go online looking for people to give jobs, opportunities, projects, so it is not bad to get active on social media. What you do with it makes all the difference.

Are you just watching people, posting “nonfa”, liking and sharing? For sharing, hmm, social media has made us some sort of journalists. We are always in a hurry to share whatever news we receive most often than not without confirming if it’s true. NB; you undermine your integrity when you spread false information. It loudly screams that you cannot be trusted. For those say forward to 100 people else… SMH. I don’t want to go there.

 Come to the relationships and its get funnier. Let me share something I read recently;

“Relationships have become a lot harder because feelings are status updates, arguments are phone calls and conversations are Whatsapp chats.                                      

 What are you telling the world about you? The media is a powerful tool which could be to your advantage if you know what to do or a destruction if you just go with the flow.  It is here to stay, so decide what to do with it. What can the world trust you with by your posts? Enough of just watching and following, let us know you for the right reasons.