You’re playing the wrong game

A couple of days ago, I received a message from a follower of mine. The translated transcript reads like this:
Follower: “Just a piece of advice: the video is too long, once you get to the first five or six minutes, people just get tired of listening and you risk losing views. Don’t you do it for the views? So what’s the point in posting it? I think that views are an index of appreciation. Have a great day Marta!”
To which I replied:
Marta: “You are telling this to the one that creates short-form videos since two years? No, I am not in it for the views. I am in for the value I can bring to people. I will stop you right there. The internet game is not for those who make more numbers, but for those who create more value. As in life in general. Have a great day :)”
If you follow me, you know how much I care telling you it is important to share, share content, and share it without b*s*. I do it because I think it is the single most important thing in today’s world that can make a difference. It made the difference for me, after my first Linkedin video went viral in February, 2018. If it wasn’t for this, how many of you would be reading this right now?
And most importantly, why do you keep consuming my content? Because probably what I share with you brings you value. Therefore, the question is almost obvious: why me and why not you? Why do you want a slice of the web but you do not have the guts and boldness to expose yourself?
There are many answers. Today, I share just one: you’re playing the wrong game. You think the game is won by those who have more likes, followers, shares. That is just wrong. It is a game of value and honesty. Think about the content you consume online: do you consume it because you like it or because everyone consumes it? If you are into a particular niche, will you prefer following someone with 100 followers but with a strong knowledge in that niche or a 400k influencer in some other field?
This is because value is uncountable. You cannot measure it with numbers. You need to measure it with how are you after visiting that profile, consumed that content, reshared that post.
At this point, don’t you feel stupid a little bit? The truth is right in front of you. Why don’t you grab it? Internet and social media have turned us into attention-addicts and made us believe we deserve it way more than we actually do.
Turns out we were wrong. Tremendously so.
We were tremendously wrong because we are in it for the attention and not for the value.
But what if we should be in it for the attention? How do you think you get attention? It is a rare good. Ok, get naked, go outside and take a walk, and videotape yourself while you do it. Boom, viral video. Ok, you got attention. What now? You need to keep the momentum high. And you can keep it high only if you have consistent and persistent value to give. It is not a game of numbers, it is a game of skills, of connections and of humanity: take off your mathematician clothes and dress like a freaking artist.
Why don’t you create? The answers are many. And just like this one, they are all as stupid.