Social (Media) Anxiety: How to Fight the Fear and Get Your Business Online

by: Jaclyn Desforges

Imagine this: You’re at a networking event where you don’t know anyone. You feel a little out of place—most of the people are making witty remarks and laughing together. There’s the awkward crowd, of course; a couple of men in bad suits shouting “10 per cent off today only! Everything must go!” over and over again in the corner. You haven’t introduced yourself to anyone yet. You would, but the woman sitting at the typewriter recording everyone’s comments is making you a little nervous—after all, everything you say will go on your permanent record, visible to future clients, employers and relatives until the end of time.

No wonder social media freaks people out.

Unlike real-life networking, social media has a permanence that can put people on edge. While you do have the comfort of a computer screen between you and the rest of the world, there’s also the fear that everything you type will come back to haunt you. It’s no wonder people put off getting started using social media, or quit approximately 30 seconds after launching their blog because they don’t have time to maintain it.

The truth is, people don’t give up on social media just because they’re too busy. (Well, maybe some people do. But even Obama  has a Twitter account.) Everybody knows the benefits of developing your business’s online presence. (Networking! Fame! Fortune!) So why do we put it off?

Because in order to be successful in your social media efforts, you have to first figure out who you are and why others should care. And wondering about those things can be scary.

Maybe it’s easier for owners of big companies—they’re somewhat removed from their products and services and can pay an army of people to tell them why they are important to their customers. But what about small business owners? When you are your company, figuring out how to present yourself online can feel very personal and awkward. 

So how do you do it? You grab a cup of coffee, your favourite pen and notebook.  You sit down to figure out what your business can offer the world. What expertise do you have that others might need? If you’re an image consultant, blog about the coming season's colour palette. If you sell hardwood flooring, you might tweet decor tips. Or where people can buy discount tickets to a weekend Home Show. You get the picture.

If you think about what you can offer to others, what you say will automatically be interesting. Don’t worry about self-promotion. That will take care of itself.

And then you move forward—you fight the fear. You tweet with clarity and purpose. And soon, people will follow. 

Posted in: Social Media