LIKES AND FOLLOWSAND COMMENTS, OH MY!WHAT'S IN A METRICTHESE DAYS?

Being a human on The Internet can be tough. 

Everything we do online is measured. Our likes, follows, comments, clicks, views, unlikes, unfollows, spam views, and the list goes on. As a social media manager, blogger, and general human on the Internet, I've had to think a lot about these metrics. 

A typical brain gaggle of questions may look something like this: 

What is the best time to post? If I include a photo of a person will it get more likes than a graphic? If I ask a question will I get more comments? If I post before noon will I reach a different audience? How much does my blog post title reallllly matter? How come this picture got 113 likes? How come this picture only got 21 likes? 

I know some of you will relate to this thought process and I think that most of us have some version of these questions every now and then. We can't pretend like we truly don't care how much praise — or flack — we get on social media. It's psychological and it's finally being discussed in articles about mental health and how this new way of life is affecting us emotionally. 

I've worked in the mental health field for years and often think about how social media affects our mental health, self-identity, and ultimately our stress levels. In reading about why we're so addicted to social media and our phones, I learned that every time our phone buzzes with a text or new follow, the reward network in our brain is activated. The release of dopamine during online social networking makes it much harder for people to resist the activity.

Of course this article alone isn't enough for me to quit cold turkey and that certainly isn't the message of this post but I think it's important to be aware. When we're aware of something, it helps us make better decisions. When it comes to social media, I personally don't think quitting is the answer for me but rather finding a healthier balance.

As a blogger, I find myself feeling SoOoOO happy and over the moon when a post gets a lot of likes, shares, and ultimately, views. But when a post isn't doing well, I begin to spiral into negative thoughts like what's the point, nobody cares, you are worthless, why bother. This exact spiral happened after I published my last post. It was one where I opened up a lot. I took a lot of time writing and refining. I posted pictures that were very different from my typical ones and thought they'd generate interest. I thought the post was going to really resonate with people. 

And it did. But this didn't result in a lot of views. It actually has the lowest view count among my posts all year. I only know it resonated because of comments on my personal Facebook share of the post AND, get this — I got an "in-person" comment. Seriously. Someone came up to me and said "I read your last post and really liked it. It resonated with me and made me really think about some things. So thank you." 

And this got me thinking. WHAT really is in a social media metric? Am I placing too much value on the wrong metrics? Why should views be considered my gold standard of worth? Do in-person comments not count because they aren't Internet-tracked? 

I've had in-person comments before and they always made me feel really good. Way better than any like, follow or comment combined. Just like how talking to a friend in person is always better than texting. But you can read more about how to really be there for someone in my last post. Please click, it needs more views. ;)

As the world craves more transparency and true connections, I'm learning that what we truly like on social media is changing. It's not about standing out anymore. Quite frankly, nobody stands out anymore. And the ones who do are the ones who are simply honest. They're shameless. They're caring and kind. They write genuine comments. They share big pieces of their heart. And they offer in-person comments. The best kind. 

They say that to be successful, we must be happy first. Put the happy first and success will follow. Do what you love and the money will come, so to speak. My goal for this blog has and always will be to share, connect and resonate with people through being open with my experiences and feelings. In the new digital space where everything is becoming saturated, the new path to success is paved with honesty, kindness, and compassion. And I hope you'll join me on this yellow brick road. 

The most important thing for me to remember is that my number of "likes" shouldn't change how much I like myself. I'm learning to "like" myself more each day. And that, my friends, is priceless. 

PHOTOS BY LISA KIDD.

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FIVE TIPS FORWORKING INPUBLIC RELATIONSIN A DIGITAL WORLD

I graduated with a diploma in public relations in 2012. Turns out a lot can happen over 5+ years. Like turning yourself into a dog with a protruding animated tongue and posting it for your followers to watch for a very specified amount of seconds. Come to think of it, I graduated just months after Snapchat was first launched and years before I would begin using it. 

While so much has changed, my industry has certainly kept up and has taken advantage of every new digital app or tool. This is great because there are so many different ways of telling stories. But this is also horrible because there are so many different ways of telling stories, increasing the possibility that your story will get lost. And to me, story-telling is at the heart of what PR people do. 

How do we have our stories heard? How do we keep a human tone when we have so many options for pre-written automation? 

Today I'm sharing five tips for working in PR today, here and now. 

1. Embrace digital but don't become a robot. 

I specifically work in healthcare public relations so this one has been easier for me than I'm sure for others who work in less direct human contact-based industries. Compassion is a word I've come to know and love. In every message we put out, every question we respond to, the communications team are thinking of the people we serve: the reason for being (raison d'être). I've learned to embrace digital tools like social media, apps, and software. However, within these tools, I try to remember that behind most screens, there are people. And people also like face-to-face meetings, phone calls and personalized messages. I've learned to focus on the social media channels that work best for us and to only use digital tools that are worth my time. I also connect with people in person whenever possible. 

2. There's no such thing as a social media guru.

This is more of a statement than a tip but hear me out. As someone who has managed my fair share of social media accounts, I have been called a 'social media guru' many a time. And every time it always felt inaccurate. Is anyone a social media guru??? 

The word guru generally means an expert or master. How can you be an expert at something that is constantly changing? Nobody really knows what the secret formula is. In my experience, there isn't one. 

Here's the deal. There are millions of social media accounts out there. And here's why there is no secret formula. Each account has a very specific number and variety of people who follow that account. You have to try new things and see how your specific audience relates and engages. Be real. Show pictures of your people doing cool things. If you have nothing particularly new or interesting to say, please don't post just to post. This is how your content quality goes down and people unfollow or scroll through. It's okay to go a day without posting. Your followers will probably thank you. 

I have also learned to not care about the numbers: the followers, etc. We live in a time when you can literally buy followers. What IS important is engagement. Are people liking, commenting and sharing your posts? That is the true measure of value. 

3. Be open to learning new skills.

Social media is constantly changing, even within the pre-existing channels. There are literally Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. headquarters of staff working all day improving their product and adding onto it as we speak. The only way to catch up is to keep an open mind and be willing to learn new things. With social media, comes the need to feed different types of content through to your followers. Things like creating graphics, videos, articles, and even live video, are all things I've had the pleasure of learning. 

4. Don't underestimate good writing.

Whether it's for a newsletter, video script, or tweet, good writing will always be one of the most important PR skills you can have. We all have incredible stories to tell and great writing does them justice. The title of your news release, article, video, etc., has huge influence over if it will get viewed or shared. I've learned that it's important to take the extra time to write well, thoroughly, and with no mistakes. 

5. Remember your basics. 

PR people are people-people. The human contact, social skills and hand written notes are at the heart of it. Connecting with people in a genuine way — whether it's in person, during a phone interview, with your coworkers, or through social media, personable contact is extremely important and strengthens everything you do. Be mindful of the public's perception of your organization and also mindful that you too are representative — to a certain degree — of your organization. Remember to slow down, smile, and make eye contact. Try to keep an outsiders' view and be aware of what people are saying. 

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL TUNDO.

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