In the pursuit of social media engagement and follower growth it can be tempting to “play to the crowd” and do what you *think* will get people’s attention, even if it feels a stretch from who you really are in person.

I have one word of advice: Don’t Do It. (Okay, three words.)

Never change who you are to attract your audience; not just because it’s fake (and just like you, your followers will be able to spot a fake a mile away) but because it’s not sustainable. 

Think about anytime you have to “put on a face”, like a job interview or when pitching to a potential client. You’re still being yourself, but you’re being incredibly conscious of putting your best foot forward. That in itself is draining. Now imagine needing to do that every. single. day while also playing a role that doesn’t come naturally to you… That’s what you are committing to if you try to fake it on social media.

Your biggest point of difference in business is yourself, so BE yourself.

You’ll find social media far more “doable”, enjoyable, and rewarding, when you see a spike in your engagement by simply being you.

In case you think I’m advocating for flooding your social media with selfie-videos—I’m not! Yes, I’m a big advocate for getting your “face in your feed”, but there’s a tonne of ways to be yourself on social media without needing to share every aspect of your life.

It’s about making sure every interaction a potential customer or client has with your business *feels* like *you*. Think about the images you select, the tone of voice and language you use, the way you interact and reply to comments… all of these things give people a sense of who you really are, and THAT’S what I’m talking about.

“Fake it ‘till you make it” can also refer to faking confidence in order to fake your way to success—but I don’t buy it.

Would you ever tell a child that lying is the path to getting what they want in life? Of course not! You’d tell them to put their head down and work damn hard. So why would adulthood be any different?

Consider what you value and respect in someone you look up to; someone who has experienced great success in their entrepreneurial journey.

What three qualities would you put top of that list? 

For me it’s:

• Knowledge

• Effort & Dedication

• Integrity

You can dress the part, buy the right accessories and tools, and name-drop the right people, but what value will any of that bring to your clients? How will this serve them? 

Hint: It won’t, and therefore will do very little to help build a long-lasting, successful business.

Instead, let’s identify our shortcomings and constantly learn and improve our knowledge. Let’s work hard every single day to serve our clients well. Let’s go about all of our business interactions with integrity. 

These are the qualities that will bring value to our clients. 

These are the qualities that will lead us on a path to success. 

These are the qualities that will truly help us “make it”.