Introverts and social media can mix. How would I know?
I’m an introvert.
I’m a business owner, youth leader at church, after-school club assistant and… 88% introvert.
So the butterfly struggle of coming out of a chrysalis is a daily one, be it calling, posting on social media or sorting out loud arguments between children. But did you know? It’s actually not killed me yet, and I have been caught enjoying it (not the arguments, the social media).
How this came to be is what I want to share with you. Maybe you’re only slightly introvert, or maybe it’s not you, it’s your friend. That’s fine. This is simply for the introvert side of anyone.
Introvert = hermit, right?
Let’s clear up an easy misunderstanding to fall into, maybe for the extroverts who find themselves reading this. From the outside, it looks like introverts don’t want to speak to people or tell their story. Actually, they really do. They just don’t know how to, or don’t believe they can.
So, I’m not doing what I hate. I’m just figuring it out.
If you’re an introvert business owner, you know what I’m talking about. Here’s what you can do about visiobibliophobia (a real term).
Believe that you’re a somebody
In this world, there is a deep, rotten hole that introverts fall down when they think they’re a nobody. Being a shy, reserved listener can make you feel like you’re a nobody in a social media world of opinionated, funny, confident-sounding businesses.
That rotten hole is a lie. You are a somebody, whether you like it or not, and that means you and your business have a voice. The only difference is that it’s inside your head and not spoken out loud.
That voice inside your head (you, I mean, not strange voices) is just as important as the voices that are already posting on social media. Your business brings just as much value as the next business. Your ideas, services, products and experiences are just as cool. You just locked them away instead of share them. Why? Because you didn’t think you met the standard (see below).
The good news is, you believed something wrong.
Even if you don’t believe you’re a somebody now, the next bit will make you realise you should.
Sit back and examine
You’re already good at this, so try it on yourself.
When you’re scrolling through social media, it’s easy to feel crushed by some weird invisible expectation that you need to match everybody else’s vibe and talk how everybody else talks.
And yes, your business needs to attract your audience by writing in a voice that they would listen to.
But if you’re only echoing someone else, what value are you really bringing? This echo trap just makes you a duplicate of someone else. That standard you’re duplicating is only hiding what you can bring. Aren’t flowers all different, but all beautiful?
Examine yourself and your business. What do you offer? How do you chat to people? Which tiny town or obscure district are you based in? What do you love about Friday nights?
Write down your values, beliefs, products, services, likes and dislikes and you’ll see a picture form. You could do a personal list and then a business one, or maybe they’re a bit mashed together. Just get notes in black and white of what your business is like as if it were a person.
Put finger to keyboard
You might think, “That’s a weird way to think of my business. As a person?”
Well, that’s how people will relate to you. Business accounts should definitely have a professional standard but the way you communicate should be almost as if you’re speaking to a friend.
People don’t want to be whined at or sold to when they’re chilling out on social media. Showing your unique, weird personality will actually draw more moths to your flame than pumping out what’s trending for the sake of being trendy or using over-used phrases every time.
It’s a weird art, but when you’re being trendy, just add a spoonful of it and the rest should be you just being you.
Start with a post on LinkedIn about what you’ve learnt or what you do. There’s a great selection of ideas here. Just have a go. If you feel silly, good. You’re going in the right direction. Eventually, you won’t feel silly at all.
If you’re looking for good stock images, they’re free to use from Pixabay, Pexels and Unsplash, or use Canva to create a cool graphic.
If time is your issue, just let me know because I can do all this hard work for you.
The bottom line
You’re amazing. Don’t hide. But people can smell fake a mile off. Just let your business be its unique self.
Here’s a little tip. Don’t scroll before you start coming up with something or your mind will start warping to conform to what everyone else is writing. Write your ideas and post them first.
And if it feels weird, you’re doing it right.