
As a graphic designer, I try to look at common objects in a different way to uncover new meanings. Over the past month, I’ve been trying to do that with social media. I used to hide from it, and to be perfectly honest, I took the ignorance-is-bliss approach. But it’s time to reframe my perception of the whole thing. Instead of ignoring it in vain, I want to embrace it. After all, I run my own small design company and the type of work I produce should theoretically be ideal for social media. So, instead of looking at my introversion as a stumbling block, I’m going to list five introvert’s traits that might actually be an advantage on social media. There seem to be a lot of articles and blogs that attempt to make the case for introverts to BE on social media; however, let’s consider where introverts might have the upper hand!
Introverts seek deeper connections with fewer people.
In social media, engagement is the goal. This is where introverts with a smaller community may excel: they prefer to engage deeply with fewer people, rather than spread themselves thin with an unwieldy list of followers. Instead of the random “small talk”, posts become more focused.
Introverts generally (over)think before they act.
It’s only after a long period of deliberation and consideration that an introvert will take action: and in this way, make each post more intentional. Content isn’t posted carelessly for the simple sake of publishing a post that day. Care is taken to ensure the information is relevant and interesting to the audience, whether it’s for a new blog post or a simple comment on another person’s post. I’ve been known to stress over what kind of emoji to use to capture how I truly feel! If we introverts can overcome the cycle of overthinking, we actually put out some good stuff!
Introverts have laser-focus on topics they care about
When introverts enjoy a subject, they research and investigate it. Then they take long walks and think about the information, reflecting on what they’ve absorbed. The quiet determination to understand content and reflect on it enables introverts to present topics from unusual perspectives. In channel where so many people share the same type of content, and misinformation runs rampant, a knowledgable connection is valuable and worthy of a “follow” or “like”. Extensive knowledge on a topic promotes regular engagement and deepens one’s niche.
Introverts are better writers than speakers (Caballo & Griffin, 2017)
Like many introverts, I feel like I write better than I speak. Social media gives introverts the opportunity to shine because we can completely bypass the awkward verbal channel and jump right into writing. Good writing attracts readers and keeps them coming back for more.
Introverts aren’t intimidated by small numbers.
Big groups of people are terrifying! And for someone who is handling their own social media, trying to engage a large group feels exhausting and frankly, less than effective. While the popular line of thinking is that the more followers on has, the better, sometimes that’s just not feasible and not workable. Introverts aren’t discouraged by lower numbers of followers and frankly, it’s easier to get to know who your audience is that way!
Introverts aren’t loud and generally not the centre of attention. But that shouldn’t discourage us from having a successful social media presence. We just need to harness those superpowers we do have in making it work for us. It can be difficult to start, but reframing social media as an environment where we can excel might help. I’ve only listed 5 traits, but hey, I’m sure there are more…can you think of any others?
References:
Caballo, F. & Griffin, B. (2017, October 9). How to Crush It on Social Media as an Introvert. Social Media just for Writers. Retrieved on October 15, 2019 from https://socialmediajustforwriters.com/how-to-crush-it-on-social-media-as-an-introvert/
Facebook:
There are many articles out there explaining why introverts should be on social media. But is it possible for introverts to have an advantage? We give you five reasons why introverts rock the social media game. https://bit.ly/2MPgEB0
Twitter:
Does the meek introvert actually have an advantage on social media? We give you five reasons why they do! https://bit.ly/2MPgEB0