Are you a fan of social media?
You kind of have to be if you are building a brand or doing any type of activism. When I started writing my first blog 6 years ago, I tried to be everywhere.Â
I had no idea about how to share my work or use social platforms to get readers but I was using them for personal reasons.
As the years went by and my knowledge of how to market one’s content increased, I finally took things seriously and started actively using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
Thousands of posts, even more comments, Twitter blocking me for my offensive tweets and a handful of YouTube videos later, I just have two left.
Holy cannoli, what happened, right? Life did.
I am not able to manage all these channels on my own, so I deleted most of them over the years. Listen, I love Gary Vee just like any other aspiring entrepreneur but the man has a team that helps him, and I am just one tiny woman.
I chose Pinterest and Instagram because over the years the best results came from them. I get thousands of readers from Pinterest, and Instagram is more of a community on its own – like a mini-blog.
I am not popular or successful yet but these two platforms excite me and give me everything I want as a content creator.
If you are just starting out or if you’ve been building a community for years with no success, let me share what I have learnt.
Here is how to use social media as a vegan:
- Choose platforms that make you feel good.
You don’t have to be on every single social media site that exists. I promise.
Ask yourself what you want to achieve, what you want to share and who you want to reach. When you have the answers, seek a platform that seems the most ideal for your goals.
The platforms you choose depend on who you are and what you do. If you are more extroverted you will want to show your face more often than if you are introverted and just want to write.
Be specific and strict.Â
- Don’t fight (all the time).
Unless you are Buddha’s cousin or just an incredibly mindful person, you will get into fights and arguments online.
You can feel bad about sometimes losing your temper and getting upset at someone’s stupidity, or you can forgive yourself for choosing to stoop to their level.
We are humans who co-exist in a world that is as beautiful as it’s scary. Knowing that trillions of lives are taken every year, getting into a fight online is not the worst thing that happened on Earth that day.
Just make sure this is not an everyday thing. No one is attracted to angry people who call them names, but they can forgive if you slip once a month.
- Create your own content.
This is very important because we live in an era where everyone copies each other.Â
To speak up for the most innocent among us you will want to share veganism through your eyes. No one can take away your experience or copy it, so we need you to share it with us.
Think of it this way: Just as you are not a fan of every single animal advocate under the sun, there are people whom only you can inspire to try eating plant-based.
People are waiting for you and to paraphrase Marie Forleo: When you don’t share with the world what only you can do, you are stealing from those who need you.
- Support your fellow advocates.
We are all connected.
Every time we come together as activists, we are calling for the same thing: animal liberation.Â
No matter who we voted for and what we think about capitalism, we are all equally vegan and important to the movement.
When you start growing your platform and sharing your thoughts and gifts with the world, remember to uplift people who came before you.
Share their content and support their effort. This is not just about us and how many followers we have, but about a cause bigger than the whole movement – animal liberation.
We are all in this together (like Wildcats).
- Be active.
I know you’ve heard of hard work and perseverance from various motivational speakers and billionaires, but it’s true.
Yes, luck plays an enormous part in reaching your goals, but unless you are born into wealth, you do have to do your part and work as hard as you can.
Take breaks when necessary but otherwise, be on the go and in the do mode all day every day.Â
You don’t have to make it perfect, you just have to make it yours.
Share your lifestyle and what you’ve learnt because that’s all that matters. Leave perfection to those who are stupid enough to believe it can be reached.
I truly hope you found what you were looking for. If you did, please let me know down in the comment section what that was and how are you planning to use it?
Listen, at the end of the day, we have to accept the fact that unless we are showing our body or post selfies every day, we will work four times as hard as someone who is willing to do that.
Sex sells. Intimacy sells. I would know because I’ve been creating content for ages and have seen little growth compared to someone who started last year and is posting bikini pics with a caption #govegan.
Okay, okay, I will not complain. That is so not sexy haha.
But I will encourage you to keep going after that dream you have. It doesn’t matter whether you are an activist or a business owner, as long as you are willing to be on the go constantly, you will create a community of your dreams eventually.
I read in some book that the world cannot reject something that comes from passion. I choose to believe that.
I hope you do too. It makes life easier.
If you want more tips like these please make sure you are following me on Pinterest and Instagram.
Tanja