If Everyone Wants To Be Authentic Online, Why Is It So Hard?
And the one mental shift you need to become the you-est you in your content.
Authenticity.
The most overused buzzword in the online space.
But why has this otherwise very important word met such a fate?
As Seth Godin writes on his blog:
Itâs not, âsay whatever is on your mind,â either.
Instead, I define it as, âconsistent emotional labor.â
We call a brand or a person authentic when theyâre consistent, when they act the same way whether or not someone is looking. Someone is authentic when their actions are in alignment with what they promise.
However, he also says in his book, The Practice, that authenticity is a trap and is overrated.
There is nothing authentic about the next thing youâre going to say or do or write. Itâs simply a calculated effort to engage with someone else, to contribute, or to cause a result⊠If youâre using any sort of self-control, then youâre not being authentic. Only a tantrum is authentic. Everything else we do with intention.
I both agree and disagree with him. I've learned the hard way what authenticity and authentic online content truly mean. When I felt I could no longer be authentic in my content, I stopped blogging and threw away my 6-year 'influencer career' like it was nothing.