High Value Actions on Social Media
Social media can either be an amazing connection tool or a mind-numbing distraction. What’s the difference? Contributing instead of consuming. There are low-value actions on social media: scrolling, watching, liking. Then there are high value actions: posting, commenting, messaging, curating. The people who are the most bogged down by social media mostly consume. The people who are the most excited by it mostly contribute.
When I start to feel bogged down by social media, I remind myself that I must contribute. Here are a few high-value actions on social media that help me get the most out of it.
Posting
Social media is a fantastic place to share your work, and show people what you’re creating. The only reason social media has the cultural impact that it does is because there are millions of people posting every day. You can contribute to what makes social media great in this way. It doesn’t matter if it’s a work in progress, a failure, or your best work yet. The magic of digital platforms is that posting is free. People love to see the process, so posting work that is still on its way is perfectly fine. Squash your perfectionism and contribute.
Commenting
Another great reason posting on social media is so great is because people engage with your work through comments. You can be part of what encourages others to post by adding well-thought-out comments. Gary Vaynerchuk has a great philosophy on this, which he calls “adding your two cents”. Don’t just comment emojis or trite affirmations–let people know what you really think! Acknowledge the hard work, ask a question, make a suggestion, or put forth an opinion. Comments like these make the social media sphere a much richer place to be.
Direct Messaging
The core of social media lies in its first word: social. The original concept was to connect like-minded people online. Direct messaging is the best way to do that. I love messaging people on Instagram because Instagram stories makes it really easy. I spend 5 or 10 minutes letting Instagram stories play in front of me. If there’s someone or something I like, I message them a short message and then keep watching. After a few minutes, I’ve sent out 10+ messages, and usually get 5 or 6 back. Social media becomes social again.
If you’re looking for the best design work, go to Behance. If you’re looking for most cinematic videos, check out Vimeo. If you’re looking for the most compelling writing, read a book. But if you’re looking to connect with creators on a personal level from all disciplines, look no further than social media.
Curating
The massive amount of content on social media often makes it difficult to find quality posts. This is where the curators come into play. My friend Antonio does this on his Instagram story every day. He brings together social, cultural, and political opinions on all sides onto his Instagram stories, then adds his two cents. I love checking out his profile because I’m always learning something new. The amazing part? He isn’t even creating most of what he shares. He’s finding it and organizing it, and that is a great service. Look at Complex, Barstool, and other platforms like that. They’re massive, while only creating less than 1% of the content they post. Incredible.
Most social platforms have a pin or collection feature. If you see things you like, curate them within a specific category and then share your curations. Chances are, people who like what you like will be grateful for the organizational work you’ve done, as it helps them see the best of the best within a specific category.
Closing
These are a few of my favorite high-value actions on social media that help me make it a better place. Are there any that I missed? Send me a DM on Instagram.
Keep social media social, my friends.
