In 2008, I was introduced to Social Media. At the time I was an introvert with big dreams but had minimal traction to making them come true. I never knew how social media was going to change my life. I started my journey with social media to help soldiers find jobs. I knew I had a great cause and I needed more people to be aware of it. So I set up an account on LinkedIn and made a group so the soldiers and employees could connect. As the group grew, so did the connections and my confidence. I started reaching out to bigger and better employers and as a result the soldiers got bigger and better jobs. This made me realize that social media could be a great platform for introverts to find and express their voices. It was more than just a posting platform it was an empowerment platform.
As I grew my career, social media started playing a bigger part in how I expressed myself. The more information I put out on social media, the more people started resonating with my message. As my following grew, I realized that people were interested in what I had to say and what I had to give. This is a big issue with introverts, being that they feel like they are never heard and no one is interested in what they have to say. Social media takes the pressure off of the introvert by letting them just post without the anxiety that goes along with the face-to-face connection. This is the reason why many introverts excel at social media.
If you are an introvert, here are a few ways that social media can help you get your voice out:
1. Start a Blog about your interests.
This is a great way to get your message out. You can blog about different topics that are relevant to your interests and then post them on other social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram to get the people to your blog. Make your blog inviting and welcoming to comments, because at the end of the day, you want the people to connect with you and to hear what you have to say.
2. Start a Facebook or LinkedIn Group for your interests.
Groups are a great way to connect with people as well. You can set up a group on LinkedIn or Facebook, and then invite others that have the same interests so you can connect and collaborate with them. You will be able to get different perspectives on your topics as well as feedback on your blogs so that you can get better and the group members can get more information. In the group setting the members can also share their knowledge as well so please encourage them to share.
3. Start a Facebook or Twitter Page to share your knowledge.
Pages are also a great way to demonstrate your expertise. This is where you will put different articles and tips about what you and the community are doing in your area of interest. On these pages you are showing yourself to be a subject matter expert, so be conscious of what you post. Make sure that it’s meaningful and provides value to your audience. This way people will continue to return to your page and engage with you. You can use Facebook Pages or your Twitter Page to get the content out to the audience.
4. Start Live Streaming about your interests.
Live Streaming is a game changer to many introverts. This is a way that they can get their messages out in real time but without the pressure of the face-to-face interaction. When Periscope and Facebook Live came into the picture many introverts skyrocketed in their reach and their presence. Then the video replays on blogs and other social media helped to expand their reach even further. This is a way to touch the audience faster and build a stronger connection. Now with Snapchat, Blab, Huzza and Busker, people are getting their messages out faster and with more impact.
These are some ways that helped me grow my reach and my voice. Try out some of these ideas and see how your audience and your voice will grow. Remember people can’t support if they can’t get the message, so let it out and share it with the world!