How to Overcome Feeling Invisible on Social Media

You know that horrible dream where you’re being chased by someone with a knife, and you try to scream but nothing comes out? Ever feel like posting on Twitter or LinkedIn is just like that?

Not the knife part, but the silent scream. Yet, in real life, you’re an amazing, intelligent, professional woman, a business leader in your field or company. You know that you’re admired by your peers and colleagues at work. Yet, you, like me avoid connecting on social media out of fear. Fear of being judged, fear of looking uninformed, or fear of being humiliated in front of everyone.

Feeling invisible was worse than the fear

I had a moment that changed my view of social media. Read on . . . here’s what happened.

I recently sat in a social media seminar, scoring my personal social media presence on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and others. I was stunned, to put it mildly. A perfect score was 300 points, and I scored a pathetic 38. The facilitator pointed out that although I was well regarded in my space, I was the Invisible Woman. I had disappeared into the cyber world. I realized that not connecting on Social Media made me seem obsolete like my career had expired. This felt worse than scared…it was a lonely place. 

A Moment of Truth – The Hard Way

In the past, I found that success led to success, and others will notice—somewhat of a “build it and they will come” frame of mind. Or so I thought.

Note to self: How could this be? I sat there silently for moments, a lump in my throat. “Build it and they will come” was no longer true. Argh! My belief, that once had been true, had grown false over time. 

You Can Do Better – Learn from My Mistakes

But—and this is a big but—professionals outside of my career space had no clue who I was. To them, I was an unknown. Moreover, head down and feet to the pavement, I was unaware that as an invisible woman, I was dramatically limiting my future opportunities.

With today’s rapidly shifting technologies our next career opportunities and the moves after that will be redefined by the power of social media.

Overcoming My Fear of LinkedIn

I discovered that LinkedIn is just a walk in the park. 

Do you ever walk through the mall or the park, and you nod at somebody? People do one of three things. They either ignore you, they nod back and keep walking, or they nod back and initiate a conversation.  

LinkedIn is the same. Sometimes we send a  LinkedIn invitation to connect. Then we agonize over the invitation. “They didn’t connect.” “They didn’t accept my connection.” “I wonder what they think of me.”

In the future, don’t agonize; just nod, keep on going, keep nodding, and keep walking. 

Remember, connections on LinkedIn will do one of three things. They’ll either 1) ignore your request – no nod; 2) they will connect, nod back; or 3 ) they will connect (nod back) and send you a personal message and want to engage with you. 

Going Forward

Three lessons I learned quickly for changing my game:

• Awareness of the continually shifting environment is essential. 
• Visibility of my brand is critical.
• Opportunity presents itself for making myself known every week and every month by building my online presence.

As you explore expanding your social media universe, start where you are and then adjust. Know that you can do this.  Remember how AMAZING you truly are!!!

A social media presence is a necessity, and staying in your comfort zone will lead to extinction. One final word is “self”. The only person that ever manages your career is yourself.  If you don’t take the initiative no one else will.  Take the first step.

Here’s to selling Mastery.

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