📸 by the incredible @elirezkallah who captioned this photo "When someone asks if I'm beach body ready"
I have recently had conversations with a few people, including consumers as well as brands from different industries discussing what people are looking for from social media. The conversation comes back to the same thing every time- people are looking for authenticity.
Remember, this was the point in social media in the first place. It was a place where you’d go to see the ‘behind the scenes’ of a brand, or view an insight in to someones life..and as people got ‘better and better’ at is (aka higher quality images, more curated, etc etc) it lost that. This has got to the point where perhaps social media is having the same negative impact as we’ve accused glossy magazines and advertising campaigns of having for so long. In a way, it’s worse on social media because it’s done in a way that pretends it’s peoples real lives. At least with a glossy campaign or cover image, we now know it’s heavily edited.
Heavily editing your life can have a really negative impact on other people. It can result in fomo, body image issues, eating confusion and a lot more. I have around 1,700 followers which isn’t the most in the world but sometimes the odd person goes to a class I post about or buys from a brand I recommend and that gives me a social responsibility to post honestly - post the burger and cake, not just the salad.. post the belly, not just the abs.. post the make-upless as well as the made up.
It’s worth noting this if you’re a brand, or if you represent a brand. Honestly and customer loyalty is not something to be overlooked. If you’re looking to attract a customer who has your interests..will it hinder your sales if you show them who you really are? I know that I personally would respect a brand way more if it went against the grain. Stand out..get ahead of the trend, and please think about how what your posting is effecting people..