what if we thought about social media as a coffee shop?

I love analogies, and right now this one has been really helpful for me and for my clients.

There are folks who visit a coffee shop once or twice a day, there are others who go a few times a week, and then there are those of us who only pop into the coffee shop when it's convenient for us and we just need a little bit of a boost or support in our day. Now regardless of how frequently we are visiting - whether it's 10 or 12 times a week or a handful of times in a month - we have a choice in how we interact and engage with folks at that coffee shop. For some of us, when we go for coffee, over time we create a bit of a relationship with the people behind the counter; with the Baristas, and perhaps those making the food. Maybe over time they get to know a little bit about you; they know the names of our dogs or our kids and certainly our favourite libation. Then there are others who simply go in for the transaction - they're there to order their coffee, their danish, say thank you, and on they go on their way. And finally, there are others who over time I get to know the other people visiting the coffee shop. They spend time with them, have coffee with them, and engage with those folks in different ways.

It does not matter if you go to the coffee shop 10 or 12 times a week or if you do go to the coffee shop a handful of times in the month because what is really important to remember is that we get to choose when we go to the coffee shop, how much we want to engage with folks, how much information we want to share and how many conversations we want to partake in.

It is no different than how we choose to use social media. Maybe you’re someone who likes to show up on social media 10 or 12 times a week or maybe you only show up a couple of times a week or month. It doesn't matter what we choose to do because what matters is that we're honoring our values and how we feel when we participate in social media. We decide how we want to engage and that's a very personal decision. Yes, there are algorithms and strategies and marketing experts telling us what we should and should not do but the reality is that none of that really matters because if we are not showing up in a way that honours who we are then it doesn't come from a place of authenticity. We slowly begin to abandon our integrity with a really fake approach. And just like in a coffee shop, it won't take long before both the folks behind the counter and the regulars catch on that you're not really there for genuine interaction.

So the next time that you're tripping up, feeling frustrated or even feel ashamed about how you are participating on social media, I invite you to consider this analogy and what is within your mental capacity, emotional capacity as well as in the capacity of your values that make sense for you and your business at this time. 

The rhythm of life fluctuates and acknowledging that is one of the ways to engage in ethical marketing.

If you know you want be hanging out for coffee at your local shop, but don’t know where to start, I would love to chat with you. I offer Content Strategy support and Idea Generation to get you focused on what is going to work for you and your business.