Ever find yourself shouting into the empty vacuum of social media, wondering why that stubborn follower number isn’t increasing? 

Do you look at people you admire, perhaps with similar business models, and wish you could stop feeling so much resistance? Ever wonder if maybe you could make each other stronger?

In order to connect with others and build an online tribe, we need to be willing to get vulnerable.

This is a scary premise for many of us… but lately I’ve been wondering, why is that? Why is it so hard to BE REAL online?

Are we afraid people won’t like us? 

Worried potential clients will see the cracks in the veneer and decide to partner with someone who has their sh*t together instead?

For whatever reason, it’s way easier to hide behind a beautiful, perfectly curated, magazine-style Instagram feed without ever really putting ourselves out there. 

But consider this: if you think about any person that you feel deeply connected to online, it’s likely that you know as much about them as you know about your close friends.

You know what they’re working on, what they’re struggling with, and what they’re eating for dinner. You may even know the names of their pets and what they would order off of a cocktail menu.

In order to build true community, you have to treat your online platforms like you would a conversation with a friend.

Be open, honest, and empathetic to your audience. Work to understand what they are going through and share your perspective with compassion.

And as Natalie says: Fight the urge to be a cooler, smarter, better looking version of yourself. Just keep it real.

Natalie & I get into this and so much more in this episode. She’s sharing 5 big tips to help us truly stand out because, let’s face it, there are enough Pinterest-style Instagram accounts out there, right? 

Here’s what you’ll get out of this episode: 

• How to put the “social” back in “social media”

• How to start making connections even if you have zero community right now

• How to leverage a handful of people to boost your content

• How to use hashtags to find people you’d love to connect with, and get discovered yourself

• the #1 thing your tribe wants you to do (hint: it’s not another coffee mug photo!)

Let’s go to the show – I can’t wait for you to hear this one! 

(Psst – this is the last episode of Season One!! Don’t worry, Season Two is already underway. Before we kick that off, I’m doing a special Q&A episode about all things Season One. What can I answer for you?!)

SHOW NOTES:

• Natalie Franke

• The Rising Tide Society

• Fizzle

• Elon Musk Turns a Tweet into a Reality in 6 Days

• Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin

• Natalie on instagram

• Steph on instagram