Scrolling through other people's feeds can be a bit intimidating if you let it. Wow, look at their amazing photos. They already have tons of followers. They've already done all of this! I could never do that...

Building a life you love comes through a lot of trial and error, a lot of hard work, and a lot of learning about yourself along the way.
There are times I thought I knew what I wanted and bolted down that path only to find I took someone else's road. As I've aged, I have learned to slow down and just borrow inspiration from other people and then mold it to fit what suits me well.
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
I think a lot of people like to curate what you see- showing only their highlight reel. They want people to believe that everything is perfect and comes naturally easy to them. And while we all have something that comes naturally to us, it's inauthentic to suggest that everything does. For example, drawing comes easily to me, always has. Putting myself out there, selling, doing social media- absolutely does not. I am an introvert. I like to cocoon into my own world~ if I could have an easy button where someone else could be the face of my business and speak my words, yet use my voice that comes from my heart, I would happily stay content in my little hidey hole. However, to make up for my aversion to being seen, I have watched more webinars than I can count, devoured tons of books and classes, and asked others that do it well for advice. Because I know my limitations.
So, what do us introverts actually do? We lean in to the positives of being an introvert. We tend to naturally slow down and take time to think through things before putting anything out into the world. We care more about a connection with others than a massive following. We don't want to talk to just anyone. We want to talk to people that get us. And that is where the BEST advice I would give someone that is fretting about the number count on their social media feed comes in.
First, think about the types of people that would get you. For me, that would be artists, creatives, photographers, homesteaders, homeschoolers, surface pattern designers, or people that want to start a side business. I'm not looking for the massive generic audience that will grow to reach everyone. Honestly, that many eyeballs on me terrifies me. I want a following that is built from people that have similar interests & similar goals. Because they are the ones that will get me and what I'm building. So, once you figure out "your people" then you can curate your content for what they might want to see.
I don't have tons of followers. I haven't yet shown my face on my feed. However, since I've been curating my audience of like-minded people, when I'm creating content for my feed, I think about them. And I am intentional with what I share. I have posts/reels that are encouraging, because there are days that I need that. I have posts that are sarcastic and funny, because I always need that. I have posts that are educational, because I want to provide value to them. Side note: my feed used to have a lot of new products or sales highlights and my feed didn't grow. But as soon as I changed my focus to show up for them, I grew. (I thought about deleting some of my old posts, you know, to curate my highlight reel, but then that's not being authentic to my learning process that got me here.)
Then I started showing up for them. I followed them, liked their posts & reels, commented on their posts so they get immediate feedback about which posts or reels they created that are resonating with their audience. (I mean, when did we get so busy that we can't take an extra minute to write a comment that will truly make someone else's day.) If someone likes or comments on my stuff, I thank them. And then when I have time, I go to their feed to return the favor.
So guess what happens when your follower count is low, but it's filled with people that truly get you. You grow your business. They start to notice what you're offering and frequently it's stuff that they are interested in. You now have a built in audience that can give you ideas or feedback on how to make your products better. You have built in cheerleaders that want to see you succeed. You have opportunities for collaborations because you have like-minded yet different audiences that can help both of you grow.
Is it slow, yes frequently. Is it still hard work, yes and no. Because now you have a vision and strategy, but you still have to do the work. Is it a great path for people that have zero followers, absolutely! I wish I had done this in the beginning. But now I've learned a lesson that can help you.
So my encouragement to you, go slow, be intentional. And if you show up for them, then they will start to show up for you.
Warmest regards,

P.S. If someone takes the extra step to like and comment on your feed, they are a great person to follow because by following them, you can learn about your audience and see how you can offer more value to them.
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