Overcoming shyness on social media
I have always felt self-conscious about showing up and promoting my business on social media. Considering that I’ve worked in marketing for most of my career, I don’t get why I feel so shy when it comes to bringing myself forward for the sake of my floristry business.
But surely I am not alone. Everywhere I see, there are countless tips and courses on how to sell better - through social media, email marketing, or digital products etc. Everyone seems to want to sell what they make, who they are, or how they got there. More revelation is usuallyl the key to getting attention and influence. But even with this well-known theory, we can’t bring ourselves to become the spokesperson we wish we had.
The social media is an important testing ground for crowd gathering and thus selling abilities. This phenomenon gives me conflicting emotions. On the one hand, I am amazed at how easily a new business can start with a help of social media once you “find your audience.” On the other hand, the pressure to be always your own salesperson feels exhausting and shallow.
Remember the early days of Facebook, the very first social media for most people my age? It was nice to share the daily events and happenings with close family and friends. But everything changed when I started a public IG account to record my floral designs and share my love of flowers with the world. Because I was trying to get into the new world of floristry where reknowned florists showcased their amazing works, I felt inadequate and shy. I kept my head low, quietly pushing my work to be featured while hiding behind the flowers.
But I started to see the increase in views and engagements whenever I show my face. Something in these social media platforms begs for more personal connection. with this knowledge, I am shifting my attitude towards showing up on my accounts. Social media is an important tool and I must master its usage.
In the olden days. if you were an artist or worked in a craft, your work became known to a bigger audience via help from other people or institutions with power. In most cases, there were contests and competitions run by foundations, schools or media outlets where you participated and competed to win. It was through these organized contests that you could earn a qualification to be introduced to the world. In such a structure, artists solely focused on practicing hard and becoming great at their craft. Promotions came after winning one of the few entry competitions. And then media and agents handled the marketing.
Today, you have the ability to represent your own art and promote yourself on social media. You can write about your growth and showcase your work on various platforms. You get to make your work shine with your social media ingenuity and skills. Now, pause there. Is the new system of self-promotion through social media bad? No, it’s actually empowering.
Described like this, I already feel less resistant about the whole thing. Instead of hoping for someone else to notice and promote your work, you take it into your own hands. This isn’t necessarily worse or more difficult than how it was. It lets me steer the wheel.
I will get back to my social media tools and relook at it with some appreciation because without it, I probably could not have become the floral designer that I am today. It’s time to get over my own discomfort. Putting myself out there on social media is simply another important life skill to get better at, just like gardening and floristry. Keep at it and I will get the hang of it soon, hopefully.