Bring Back Authenticity Online

We are in a digital age where everything we see on social media is carefully manufactured to perfection. From famous influencers to our intimate friends, people tend to post the best of themselves. Every image is carefully selected and edited before it is posted so that what you see isn’t exactly reality. If I am being honest, I tend to doubt every influencer I see on my feed. I see fakeness in their stories, stiffness in their “perfect” relationships, and sadness through their smiles. I do not like thinking about other people this way, but I fear we have grown up in a culture that tells us “everything we see online is fake.” 

Do you take everything you see online at face value? Do you immediately trust everything you see on social media? Consider these questions as I provide my preferred type of media.

Despite the disappointment I find on mainstream media platforms, I tend to find comfort knowing that blogs still exist in the world today. I know that blogs can be edited and manufactured just as much as visual content, but I find words to be much more meaningful and authentic than pictures. Maybe it is the writer in me, but I find that it is harder to communicate through written words, so when I see blogs, I find a greater sense of conviction and meaningfulness in it. 

Keeping up a blog is just as much work as social media, but the reward is far less immediate. Just like social media, building a name for yourself on a blog requires a time commitment, a fresh flow of ideas, and constant updating. You are continuously working on your brand to make engaging content for your viewers. However, there is no guarantee of instant payback. It takes time to gain subscribers who regularly view your content. Sponsorships take longer to obtain because tracking conversions and leads on blogs is more difficult to track than social media. 

Mainstream social media is still important and influential, but I urge influencers to consider adding blogs to their diverse platforms. I believe that this form of content will allow their connection with their audience to grow in such a wholesome way.

While you, reader, may not be a professional influencer yourself, consider the importance authenticity has on you and whether that determines your loyalty to a brand.  

See you next time, 

Evie