We are living in an unprecedented era. Today’s gig economy is about the integration of the physical and the virtual world. The boundaries between work-home balance are getting blurred day by day.
The rules of the game have changed.
Whether we like it or not, Social Media has become an equal opportunity space. It has become the greatest equalizer in the recent times.
Age, race, gender, salary, title, demographics or geography are no bar anymore. As much as we would like to consider these as baseline denominators or starting points, the market doesn’t care all of that.
And that’s the secret, to me, to succeed in social media as an equal opportunity medium.
If you are talented, creative, bring unique points of view or unique twists on existing topics and provide consistent value to your audience, you will succeed. The success won’t happen overnight but time will come where you will notice the difference in terms of how your customers or target audience perceives your differently because of your unique skills or unique qualities.
In the past, many barriers existed for average person to become their own brand and succeed. It was difficult for average Joe/ Jane to create his/her own media platform.
For example, succeeding with the traditional marketing was only reserved for the select few and the elites… and that invariably meant the big brands or people or organizations with the deep pockets. The interruption marketing either required paying big bucks (it still does) to get airtime on TV/Radio or required access to the gatekeepers, journalists to get published and succeed with PR methods.
Not anymore.
Social media has changed all that. It has created a level playing field and has become an equal opportunity space.
And I believe everyone benefits from it.
If someone is creative, possess unique skills/ talents, they can create their own following, their own tribes. That’s a huge! Social media has become the greatest equalizer.
Indeed, we are living in an unprecedented age.
We don’t need anyone’s permission or gatekeepers to succeed. With a dose of little creativity, research, self introspection and minimal investment dollars, anyone can get started.
Social networks (FB, Twitter, LinkedIn) allow us to connect to anyone in the world, interact with influencers directly, share ideas and deliver content to the marketplace, challenge and debate viewpoints etc. There are many examples of average people succeeding with their unique stories, voices and their unique talents.
Value always rises to the top.
If you keep providing consistent value w/o expecting back in returns, you’ll begin to generate traction and engagement over a period of time. Value certainly converts by creating trust in the long term. I think the magic lies in having patience, keeping long-term view rather than getting too absorbed in day-to-day
There are many ways to provide value such as:
- Focusing on benefits vs features,
- Speaking to your audience’s needs, pain points and desires,
- Swimming in your own lane,
- Storytelling,
- Being authentic (through humor, entertainment, education),
- Showing vulnerabilities, showing your human side,
and many more.
So stay creative, stay passionate, stay authentic and keep providing massive value. When interacting and communicating with thought leaders, influencers and your target audience, do not have any hidden agendas. Keep it clean, simple and straight-forward.
Your value will convert and you’ll begin to tap into social media as a medium that promotes equal opportunity.
Makarand
Note: This blog has also been published separately on LinkedIn Pulse by me.
