“there is a difference between wanting to express yourself and having something to say.”
This quote is from an article by Rachel Tashjian in GQ. It is one of my favorite quotes I’ve ever read. She was reviewing the show “Next in Fashion” (which I highly live for) and talking about the subject of self expression.
I picked up a camera as a teenager because I wanted a way to express myself, and I understand why this feeling is so powerful. I created works that had a meaning, and although there were many that weren’t good, I was trying to speak through my photographs. This was the basis for why I started.
But in todays climate of constant demand for content, it gets harder to be always creating something with depth and meaning. This goes for our work as well as what we write on social media.
How can I come up with a caption every single day that connects with people?
Truthfully, I can’t. I can’t write on demand and there are days where I’m not inspired and I just want my caption to be:
“here I took this pic that I really like, can you please just like it?”
But I’m realizing that I have a lot to say. I have a lot to say that people may relate to. So let’s answer these questions to go from saying nothing, to saying something. Because chances are you’ll find people who can relate.
The truth is that people want to hear AUTHENTIC things from you. They don’t want to hear fluff, or only the good things every single day. They want to hear things that are relatable, that actually connect them to you.
Social media is… social. It’s meant to be about human beings. I know many of us are promoting our businesses, but I’m a real person behind my business. The power is in the person.
TALKING POINT IDEAS THAT PEOPLE CAN CONNECT WITH
- where you live and how it’s affected your life
- the relationships in your life
- something you struggled with this week
- something you achieved this week
- teaching something you are knowledgable about
- your favorite entertainment (book, movie, podcast)
- a story from high school
- a story from traveling
- a funny thing that happened while on the job
- One of your favorite jobs you’ve done and why
- your pets
- Something you learned this month
Pick 1 topic from this list a week and see how much more engagement that one may get than a post that just shows your work. A mix of both can really help with your presence on social media.
Next time you’re wondering what you should write about, think about something you went through that week that you may be up for sharing, and go from there.
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