"But I don't want to Hao Lian!*"
When I first learned about "building a personal brand" and "being visible online", this was the first thought that popped in my head.
*hao4 lian4 is a Teochew term used to describe a braggart, show-off, or someone who is unashamedly self-indulgent.
Growing up in an East Asian-influenced culture, Confucian ideals were infused into my behavioural expectations.
A key ideal in Confucian thought is that of humility. Clambering for attention and status are seen as dishonourable and crass behaviours. Above all, it is a cause for loss of ‘face’.
You can imagine how this would lead to me thinking that putting myself out there is no different from blowing my own trumpet, singing my own praises, proclaiming myself from the rooftops… you get the idea.
It wasn’t a desirable thing to do.
And when I examined a little more, I realised that I viewed people who were constantly clamouring for visibility in a low light.
I didn’t want to be like them.
Hence the resistance to making myself more visible online.
Now, obviously, the fact that you’re reading this suggests that something must have changed.
And something did.
I stopped all online activity for over a year.
Truth be told, I didn’t miss it.
Instead of agonising over what to post or what to show, I spent more time listening and reading.
Serendipitously, some of them discussed this topic, about being visible.
And I slowly started to see it in a different light.
What I used to think was “shameless self-promotion” and “narcissism” doesn’t need to be, as long as the intention is purposeful and useful to others.
Sure, there’ll always be people who take it wrongly, but that’s true of anything - whether expressed online or offline.
I started to see that letting others know what I know and offering information is helpful to them. It’s not about promoting myself and my views (though there is an unavoidable element of this in all public expression), it’s about sharing what I have.
Most people are clever enough to figure out the motivations behind your post, and if you share with good intentions, it’s better (and easier) to let them decide for themselves whether they want to read it.
So here we are.
It’s your decision.
Social Media is a Game Where You Meet All Sorts. Handling Them Isn't Easy.
Playing the social media game, just like any other, puts you in contact with thin-skinned people, poor winners, and sore losers.
I haven't personally interacted with a lot of these individuals, probably because I've been playing this game at a much lower level than a number of people that I know.
But I certainly see them posting on feeds that I follow.
I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemies, but the things that they say can be very amusing.
Seeing as I'm no social platform expert (not yet, anyway), I'm going to have to keep an eye out on how to handle them.
If you have a good tip for me, please let me know.
Post Your Thoughts Without Pictures
Posting more regularly now, I find that one of my posting blocks has always been finding / making the pictures that are supposed to "enhance" my text.
It's such a waste of time.
I can't remember where I picked up this erroneous idea that, without graphics, nobody is going to read your post.
To demonstrate how pervasive this is, all you have is look at your own feed and count the number of boring stock photos being used that have little to nothing to do with the post.
Sure, quite a number of people are first attracted to interesting graphics, but if you're spending more time on finding or making an "attractive thumbnail" than what you're actually sharing / producing, you need to re-think your priorities.
And IF nobody reads your post because you didn't put up a graphic, it kind of shows what kind of audience you've been cultivating and contributing to.
Seriously, cut the graphics, unless you're actually talking about them or using them to make your point.
Words alone are fine.
P/S
If you're one of the rare few who also posts without pictures, I read your posts when I come across them.
Should I Start A New Instagram Account for Professional Purposes?
Over the past 2 years or so, I’ve been actively taking pictures while I’m at school workshops and other public events. Of course I have older pictures, but I never took them with specific purposes in mind.
I believe I have gathered enough to start putting them together into an online portfolio of my work.
Most of the major topics that I cover have been photographed to some degree (some more than others, of course, due to differences in frequency).
So, of course, the next step is to decide what platform I should make the portfolio on.
Since it’s mainly pictorial, I thought about using Instagram.
The reason I don’t use my personal account is that I’d prefer to reserve it for my truly personal life and interests - namely food, travel, and photography.
As such, I’ve registered another Instagram account and I plan to start posting soon.
It’s definitely going to be slow-going, but I figured it’s worth a shot.
After all, it’s better to put up a short blog post than none at all.
Let’s get started soon!
