Are you looking for an audience, or a meaningful human connection?

If you’re trying to build an audience, to gain followers, to garner attention online, I think it’s worth asking yourself:

Is it an audience I’m after, or am I really in search of some genuine connections with other people?

It’s easy to conflate the two, thinking that if we just get to X hundred (or thousand) followers, we’ll finally get the…

validation | attention | recognition | respect

… that we’re looking for. That isn’t necessarily the case. It’s easier than ever to feel disconnected from others, which is ironic given how many flippin’ “social” networks there are.

I’m certainly guilty of trying to gain an audience, when I may just need more adult interaction. I admittedly don’t have many IRL friends that I can hang out with.

Given the increase in remote work, many of us don’t even see our co-workers in-person. Or, if we do it’s very seldom (especially during the peak of COVID).

What Will You Do With the Audience?

Once you’ve got those eyeballs trained on you, what will you do with them? Are you looking for positive comments? Sales? Friendship? A community? Loyal followers?

Maybe start by asking yourself that question. When you have the audience, then what?

That might help you understand the motivation and whether an audience is truly what you’re looking for.

Read this post and more on my Typeshare Social Blog