The philosophy of “Keeping in touch”
Having an online presence nowadays can make or break careers. I’ve just recently wrapped up a class on this very topic of how to not only have a presence but, to present yourself in a way that is professional and pleasing to the digital world. In this post, I’ll be touching on ways how to achieve your best online presence.
Whether or not you’re looking to gain a certain presence for personal reasons or for professional reasons the number one component to having success is being consistent! Consistency is key! I’m speaking for myself when I say that being consistent is the biggest challenge. There are times when I cannot muster up the energy to keep going. But, this will have to change for the sake of my career. If you’re anything like me, the moment you have any downtime you’ll somehow find a way to misuse your time. Watching t.v or even tending to other things that we’d normally put off. I’m very guilty of doing these things.
Explore other online platforms. Outside of online platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and so forth, there are niche-specific platforms that are strictly dedicated to whatever it you’re into. So for example, I’m in school right now studying for my degree in filmmaking. I would naturally do a quick research on filmmaking platforms. One, in particular, would be a forum called StudentFilmmakers.com. This forum connects other student filmmakers together and they share their personal experiences and any questions they may have. It’s a nice time saver for me. This benefits me and my filmmaking journey on so many levels. When someone else learns that something isn’t working out, it informs the rest of the audience on that forum. Which saves us time and even money. The normal social media platforms are helpful as well. It just depends on if you chose to follow people within the same niche as you.
I’ve noticed that on my personal social media platforms, I wasn’t following let alone communicating with people who were filmmakers like myself. I only followed friends, family members, and anyone who had an interesting page. But, after realizing the crucial importance of following the “right people”. Surround yourself with people you could learn from and grow with. Networking!
Be bold! Now I have yet to reach out to some of these like-minded individuals but, it’s a priority of mine. I can attest to the result that comes from networking but coming from a corporate standpoint. If you’ve had the opportunity to check out my “Get to know me” section that’s included on the home page of my website, you would’ve read that I work a full-time job. I also mentioned my healthy disdain for my current position. Although I’m very much eager to pack up and make my dramatic exit, I will say that I have learned a lot about the power of networking.
Because I have such an outgoing demeanor and I’m a social person by nature I’ve made some valuable connections with people. Co-workers alike as well as higher-ups. Due to this, I have had some opportunities that wouldn’t have happened if I’d never taken the chance to communicate and connect with people. I’m beyond grateful for these connections that I’ve managed to build and managed to obtain. If you consider yourself to be an introvert and might find this aspect of your career or online presence to be difficult, don’t worry. We all are! I know this is easy for me to say but, it’s true! The fear of rejection is real! But, the fear of not doing what I love is far greater. To me at least. Whatever the consequences may be in your head, most likely won’t be the reality. The worst thing that can happen would be that the person doesn’t respond. If this happens then “oh well” it’s their loss.
Moving forward I’ll make it a point to well… be more social. Social in the sense of “networking” alongside people in the industry. So if you want to connect with me and keep up with me on my journey as a filmmaker, then please feel free to hit me up on my Instagram and on the AIL Pinterest page! And if you are a filmmaker yourself or just a casual reader then please let me know what your thoughts are. I’d love to chat with you guys! Thank you so much for reading this post. Catch you later!
