Be Willing To Be Real

If you crave genuine connection online, you have to be authentic. Some people mistakenly believe that to be authentic, you have to share your entire life online with absolutely no filters. But that’s not true.

You can be authentic and build lasting relationships without oversharing or annoying your community. Here a few ways to show your true self to your online friends and followers…

Share the Bad

Most people automatically share their good moments on social media. They take a selfie of their new hairdo or post about their vacation adventures or proudly display their latest commission check.

There’s nothing wrong with publishing these details online. But if you only show the good side of your life, people may struggle to trust you.

You’ll appear more genuine if you post about your bad moments occasionally. This means you can go ahead and upload that post-workout gym selfie, broadcast a shot of your messy workspace, or share a snap of how your fuzzy your hair looks after you ran in the rain.

Present a Slice of Life

Sometimes, being authentic can be as simple as posting about a common occurrence that other people can relate to. For example, Faydra Koenig, a crisis coach, frequently posts photos of her coffee cup from Starbucks.

She shares the images to show the unusual ways servers attempt to spell her name. She does it in a light-hearted way without embarrassing anyone or shaming them. She simply has a laugh and lets her friends in on the joke.

Participate in Conversations

You wouldn’t take your friend to a crowded restaurant and spend the entire meal ignoring her. If you did, your friend wouldn’t feel loved. She’d be upset and wonder why you bothered inviting her if you had no intention of spending time with her.

It’s the same concept with social media. If you have friends and followers responding to your updates, take a moment to engage with them. You don’t have to write lengthy responses. When a friend comments, you can say something simple like, “Thanks for listening!” or “Love hearing your perspective on this!”

Own Your Quirks

What do you geek out about? Maybe you love collecting action figures from your favorite Sci-fi movies and you’re always adding new ones to your collection. Maybe you live for ugly Christmas sweaters or you’re obsessed with trying different recipes.

Sharing something you love and showing off your inner dork is a great way to be authentic online. You’ll attract other people who geek out over the same things and you’ll have a good supply of frequent content since your hobby is already part of your life.

You can be authentic online and still have your privacy. The key is picking which parts of your personality and life you’d like to showcase online.