Leveraging Social Media Platforms
Social media platforms haven’t ruined anyone, they have just exposed who we really are.
Usage of social media has grown so much that we all have been habituated to these platforms, and you know the secret behind it? the habitual need of using such platforms is established due to the strategy used by such billion-dollar businesses. In his book Hooked, Nir Eyal has presented the exact strategy these platforms implemented in order to habituate us into these platforms and turns out they have successfully implemented those ideas since we are completely hooked in various social media like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and many more. Big businesses have been built and lots of revenues have been generated but what about the effect on us that these platforms have made?
It is very lucid that getting hooked on social media has defiantly helped us get connected and collect information but what we do not realize is that a lot of time is being wasted on scrolling such platforms, that time which could have been used for productive tasks. In this digital world, it is quite not possible to suggest not to use social media because everything even our work-related tasks are connected through such platforms, and since we are hooked on such platforms it is quite impossible to abstain from using mobile phones and laptops. If viewed from a wider perspective social media platforms have deteriorated the quality of life of many people by being the major factor of mental health degradation and a big-time waster, the main point to grasp here is, it is not the fault of these platforms but it is our own perception that has led the majority of human beings into this vicious circle. The types of content we consume, the comparisons we make the freedom we take make a lot of impacts.
Ask yourself, what have I gained from endlessly scrolling such platforms? I am sure you have learned something valuable but I can guarantee that the maximum time of the scrolling period of yours is wasted on cheap entertainment, senseless topics, liking others' pictures and videos, thinking I wish I was there, and many more. There is not much to take away from such platforms unless you are consuming content that really matters to you and is helping you grow. We, humans, have the tendency to look at the negative side of everything that is why the majority of us haven’t been able to spot the boon of these platforms and, mark my words those who have identified the benefits of such platforms have grown wealthier and successful. Yes, you heard me right, through these platforms thousands of people have grown wealthier and happier and I am sure you can too if you learn to leverage the social media platforms.
How can you leverage social media platforms?
The number one thing you can do to make the most benefit out of social media platforms is being self-aware of what kind of content you are consuming, the content you consume on a daily basis makes a lot of impact on your personality. Follow influencers who make content regarding your niche or passion, consume their content, and learn from them. Learning insights and gathering knowledge is far better than wasting your time endlessly scrolling through useless content. Listen to educational podcasts, watch informational videos and inspire yourself into action.
The real leverage of social media platforms is when you become a creator yourself not just a consumer. Thousands and thousands of content creators have taken advantage of these platforms and created various forms of content providing entertainment, education, information, and many more and those creators are living the life on their own terms some also have built multi-million dollar businesses leveraging social media platforms. Why not take advantage of these platforms and start creating content in whatever field you are passionate about? There are various forms of content you can create it can be written articles, a video, an audio podcast, graphical content, and many more each and every one of these forms of content you create have certain values to provide. By consistently creating content and uploading content you will be creating a personal brand that has some value to provide and this brand of yours will generate a great reward in the future. When there is such a big possibility to create a brand and provide some value why just consume content? Gary Vaynerchuck an entrepreneur quotes “ “The biggest thing I can tell you is that you have to make as much content as possible. The good deal right now is the seven platforms that live on this [phone]”. Find out your niche and start creating content in any form you like give it time to build with patience all the time you have put in creating content will give out a huge reward later.
View social media platforms as an opportunity and you will certainly find tons of opportunities waiting for you to grow on a daily basis and provide some value. Don’t just aimlessly scroll Facebook and TikTok, find your niche and start creating, it doesn’t have to be perfect, you will get better with time, just start leveraging social media platforms for your benefits and growth.
Learning about this leverage I also started creating various forms of content and sharing them on various platforms. The brand I am trying to create is an education brand Growthademy where I share learnings that I learned reading various books, I also create book summaries and case studies of various businesses and share them on such platforms.
What’s stopping you? go get started, start creating.
