In a sea of Facebook entrepreneurs sharing everything from awesome personal stories and great content to questionable products and services, it’s hard not to doubt your own content before you put out in front of the world.
Using social media to grow your business comes with a host of mindset issues, starting with fear. The fear of being visible. Fear of being seen as an imposter. Fear of embarrassing yourself. Fear that your content just isn’t that good. Fear that you’re just not, well, ENOUGH.
If you’re like the rest of us that have had to deal with that ugly fear of sharing your content because it hasn’t gone “viral” yet, here’s a much-needed reality check on why your content may never go viral.
1. Mindset Matters
I know the word “Mindset” gets thrown around on social media, but if you don’t believe that your mind can be your best friend or your worse enemy, you need a reality check. You hear and read about it so much because online entrepreneurs have discovered that the first step to having a successful business is practicing daily mindset exercises. If you have any doubt whatsoever about your strengths, capabilities, content, business or anything related to yourself and/or your business, guess what? You’re human! But you also need to start doing some mindset work ASAP or else fear is going to eat you alive and you’ll let it sit behind the wheel while your entire life passes you by.
(By the way #1 ties into every other section so when in doubt, jump back here.)
2. Patience IS a Virtue
It is easy to get down on yourself (especially if you have mindset issues) when you see so many silly videos and crazy things on social media getting hundreds of thousands of views and comments. Then you hear about how those same people’s lives changed overnight.
In 2011, I was the same way. I doubted almost every piece of content I created for my new consulting business. I spent the first few months of my business deleting a lot of what I put out there because it wasn’t getting the hype I wanted it to. I wondered how so many crappy videos, posts and blog entries had made it to viral status.
I would write something and fear would set in, telling me that someone might laugh, or comment something negative. I worried that the people that needed to hear my message would see the negativity. I worried that people would think I was full of it and didn’t know what I was talking about. I drowned myself in negativity for no reason at all. None of my videos of posts ever went viral. But when I started working on my mindset and decided to go all in, I booked my first 6 figure client within 60 days.
Stop comparing yourself, trying to rush the process and learn the art of patience. It will save you tons of energy, time and money.
3. Confidence Grows
Confidence, like faith, is like a muscle. The more you use it, the more it grows. You’re never going to know if your content is good or not until you put it out there and leave it out there. There are billions of people on social media every month. Not everyone is going to see your post, your video or your blog entry the same night you put it up. Post it and walk away.
In my former consulting business, I found that the more I put content out and forced myself to leave it out there, the more my confidence grew. I began to see my content improving and my message to my target client becoming more clear.
Keep your foot on the pedal and don’t take it off. EVER. Keep creating content. Keep posting it. Keep sharing it and keep improving on it.
4. It’s Not Meant to Go Viral
Your definition of viral might be skewed if you think that to gain online popularity, get raving fans, and reach your ideal clients to make bank, you need a million views a day. You, your business and your destiny might not be meant to go “viral.”
Don’t measure your success to the virality of someone else’s online track record. There is nothing wrong with dreaming big, but if you already know you need to sell X number of packages, coaching programs or products per month to have financial freedom, work on that. Work on it daily. Stick to your goals and your plans, but don’t let yourself be blinded by not being AS big as you’d like to be where you are today. You may not be meant to go viral yet…or ever.
I look back and am SO GRATEFUL that I didn’t go “viral” back then. A year after my booming consulting business was opened, I filed for a divorce from my son’s father and shut everything down. Social media, business, EVERYTHING. If I had gone viral, I would have made a horrible reputation for myself or I would have had to continue traveling and be away from my then three-year old son who needed me. I would have had a huge mess to clean up when I came back in March 2016.
My definition of viral is reaching the people I intend to reach. When I know that I have, I am fulfilled. I am fueled to produce more content that meets their needs and connects me to them. That’s what being viral is REALLY about.
Ask yourself what “viral” really means to you and for your business....
5. You’re Not ALL IN
You can’t expect extraordinary results if you know you are not putting forth extraordinary effort. If you’re idea of living your dreams is waiting for them to fall on your lap, you should leave social media now and just go play the lotto every week. You have more chances of winning that, than standing out online and creating a business that helps people, fulfills you and overflows your bank account if you’re not willing to put in the work to live your passion.
For me back in 2011, after months of random content and pity parties, I was done. It wasn’t until I made the decision to go all in, that I started being consistent and focusing on the things that were leading me to self-sabotage. I started creating daily content for Facebook, videos for You Tube and writing newsletters and emails like my life depended on it. Once I went unwaveringly ALL IN, it would be just 60 days before I saw my first six-figure client. The others followed not to long after. But, I had to look that fear in the eye every day and tell myself that this WAS going to happen because I knew that my clients needed to read what I was producing for them.
When I came back into the social media spotlight in March 2016, a lot of those feelings started to rise in me again. Four years is a long time to be away from the online business world. But after focusing on my mindset FIRST, everything else fell into place. I no longer doubt what I put out because I strive to be in the right mindset 100% of the time – in biz and life. I’m human too, doubt comes. But I know how to POOF it away just as quickly as it snuck into my head. I don’t worry about people’s negative comments or if they’ll see me as an imposter because I know my tribe will get me and get my message. And that’s who my message was intend for all along.
Go ALL IN, or get out. Seriously, what is the point in wasting another second doing anything that you’re entire mind, body and soul aren’t aligned with. What is the point in calling yourself an entrepreneur if you don’t want to hustle for the freedom that defines us?
Vanessa Rende is a business consultant with over 12 years experience. With a no-nonsense, mindset + business strategy approach, she helps highly-motivated women entrepreneurs grow their existing empires, stand out in a crowded market and make money doing what they were born to do for clients they love.