As a local ecomm business, social media is crucial to your survival. My target audience lives on social and it is so important that I can grow to use it as my main marketing platform - especially during a pandemic when face to face is just not realistic. But with that comes the realities of social media.
I launched in October and since then have worked with a handful of Instagram influencers to help grow my page and attract like-minded women to gldn grl. The experience has been enlightening and honestly, not all that surprising.
The two things I want to get across here: social media can be the most impactful tool to help you connect with people in similar situations as you, and let you feel heard, seen or understood. But, it can also be extremely detrimental for other reasons.
I recently engaged with an influencer who wouldn't tag me in their pictures but would tag large brands - so yes, they do know how to use the tag function. At first I was slightly insulted that my little 1000 follower page wasn't tagged, but then the obvious clicked: this is a reflection of them, not me.
I want it to be clear that this is not my goal. I am here to advocate for myself, for people like me, and to be real. I read every single one of your messages, and do my best to reply to them with truth and heart. I will never not support you because you aren't big enough. If you've spent 10 seconds, 10 minutes or 10 days writing to me, I am here for you. If I'm commenting something nice on one of your pictures, I mean it. I'm not just trying to get you to follow me (but like, a follow is still nice). If it made you smile then that's the goal.
gldn grl is more than jewelry.
This is also not an influencer hate post. I understand how much work goes into content creation. I am not saying I don't think what influencers do isn't work - it really is. I run every aspect of my business and do the content creation while working full time, I know how exhausting it is. However, there is a way we can all do this that allows room for support and compassion and that's why I'm writing. I think the cycle is that influencers help each other, not the little guys, and that's what I want to change on social. I want to help you, no matter how many followers, likes or comments you get.
We (and I mean we because I do this) get too caught up on how many followers we have, the amount of likes etc. and it is really unhealthy. I lose followers constantly because people use this spam tactic to like all your pictures, follow you getting you to follow them and then unfollow you. That is fake as hell and the opposite of the community I want to foster.
I had a down day today and just got back from an appointment with my psychotherapist (hey N!), and it dawned on me that gldn grl is a conduit to become more self-aware, mature and has given me a platform to help other people do the same.
Even if one person reads this and realizes that I am not a brand just after your money, but am truly trying to form a community where we can help each other grow, understand our ailments (mental and physical) and support one another, that's a win for me.
So thank you, each and every one of you, for helping me learn more about myself, what I want and need in life and my goal. That is the friggen beauty in small businesses and the online community I've engaged with. The influencer community have disappointed me but honestly just showed me more of what I want: REAL support from people who aren't just after their own end game.
If you're struggling with social media because you're seeing perfectly posed people and your self-esteem is taking a hit, just remember that they spend hours creating that content and that's why they want you to pay for it. That isn't their life - it's their job.
I wanted to post today because I need to keep up with my content to grow, but honestly nothing felt right, so instead I'm writing to you. I don't want to force myself to post pictures that tell you everything is okay, when it's not true.
I struggled today. I lost motivation. I was irritable. I was sad. That is the truth. I don't ever want to post something that misleads you on who or what gldn grl is.
As Eve said, they wanna know who's that girl. I'm Summar, I'm here for you and want to grow along side you.
Stay gldn.
- gldn grl