Social Media: Its Impact on Us, Our Businesses and Our Legacy (Part 01)
Social Media, It’s Time we had a Talk
BY MAIKA ENDO, IN COLLABORATION WITH BECKY HUNTER-KELM
8 min read
In this two-part blog, I’ll share a bit about my journey with social media over the years and how I have been inspired to make changes ahead of next year. The online space can inspire joy and connection, so I want to encourage you to be a good steward of your mental health and use social media consciously.
In Part Two of this blog series, I’ll then examine whether social media is necessary to run a successful business and evaluate different social media approaches. I aim to remind you that social media isn’t the only effective method for marketing your brand, and to support you in making an empowered and purposeful decision about how (or if at all) you use social media in line with your values.
Oh, and a small PSA: This two-part blog will make you think about your life (and death) in terms of your legacy. It may challenge some of your previous assumptions about social media and affect your decision of how you use it in the future. Read with caution :).
1. Social Media and I- a Short History
Just in case you thought this article was going to slam social media as something evil and terrible, let me say: I LOVE Instagram! When it started in 2010, I was one of the first users on the platform. I had a personal account (Instagram only introduced business profiles in 2016), and when I started my online business journey as a holistic business coach in 2017, I deleted my personal account and switched to a business account to keep things simple and to not have to manage two accounts (those who know me know that minimal, crisp, and clean is my vibe).
There’s no doubt that social media helps us network with others; it can be entertaining, educational, and inspiring. But I like to look back fondly at life before the 'Gram.
We used to send paper letters in envelopes (as a child, I would add sand and petals to my letters to friends), and carefully write our friends' addresses on the envelopes, lick and seal them closed (an unforgettable taste!) stick the stamp on the top right-hand corner and walk to the nearest post box to send it off to loved ones.
All this effort in order to preserve memories and keep relationships alive across distances. The process was asynchronous and gave us time to process our thoughts and emotions- and I will never forget the joy and anticipation when an answer landed in our mailbox.
Then, in my teenage years, I started using a pager, an online device that allowed you to exchange messages with friends through a messaging center (looking back, it seems so archaic now!)
Not long after that, I got my first mobile phone. Of course, it wasn't a smartphone (they didn't exist yet). It looked more like a large, black remote control. I remember learning to text -the 'beep' sound of receiving a message was so exciting!
I discovered the internet when I went to college, and I remember I barely knew how to type ‘http://www.yahoo.fr’. (I had to ask someone how many 'w's I needed to type!)
My generation was the first to use Facebook (launched in 2004) to interact and share about our lives with friends and family worldwide. Then when Instagram appeared in 2010, it was revolutionary how we shared our life experiences. It was all about images, with tiny squares full of people's real lives: their life moments, travel, meals. It was simple, spontaneous and mesmerizing.
Instagram introduced business profiles in 2016, and this was when the platform was utilized by marketers, influencers, and brands, making Instagram a more commercial scene.
In terms of my marketing experiences, when I started a brick-and-mortar wellness business in 2008 (the Kocoon Spa in Beijing), we used and leveraged SEO and email marketing and partnered with like-minded brands.
Fast-forward to today. Even though I still have my Instagram business account, I primarily market my online business in the same way I did Kocoon Spa: SEO-optimized blog posts, collaborating with like-minded entrepreneurs and sending emails to engage with my community. In fact, intentionally building an email list has been the main reason I can step away from actively posting on social media when I want to because I can share and connect with those who are interested in hearing about what I do via my automated emails. Automated systems also means that people can also sign up for some of my courses (paid and free) without my active input.
2.My Relationship With Social Media
If you've been following me for a while, you know that I take regular social media sabbaticals. I even wrote a blog post about what I learned from it. (If you want six tips for your business while taking a social media break, you can read it here).
I started my sabbatical with these questions to help think a bit more deeply about my relationship with social media:
What do you do that is merely out of habit?
Are you on social media for your business just because everyone else is?
What if you questioned its legitimacy and usefulness in your life?
Intentionality has always been central to how I design my life and business, and make my decisions. This includes the way I want to exist online. I don't want to do anything in life just because everyone else is or because I've become programmed to, so I’m constantly re-evaluating the value of social media.
As I look at the thought leaders whose work I enjoy, I observe that some of them have left social media altogether. Some people keep a profile presence on social media without posting and use paid ads to market their services. Then there are still others who have a selective and conscious approach to actively using social media.
There are two thought leaders that I have worked with and learned from in the last three years who have deeply inspired me in and helped me shape my online presence in more mindful ways:
Alexandra Franzen, is a best-selling author and award-winning editor; co-founder of Get It Done and a brick and mortar bookstore called One Idea Books and Gifts. Alexandra left social media eight years ago and wrote about it, which is how I discovered her.
Founder of Consciously Digital, Dr. Anastasia Dedyukhina, is a TEDx speaker and author of the bestseller book ‘Homo Distractus’. Dr. Dedyukhina spent over a year and a half using only a very basic phone that can only call and send text. (She does use a smartphone today but only as a backup device). Her 8-month program Consciously Digital, has been a catalyst to my joining a movement committed to lives better balanced between the online and offline worlds. (You can read my blog here: Maximizing Joy: The Art of Balancing Online and Offline Business Connections.)
3.End of Year Rituals and Revelations
The end of the year is always a sacred time for me to pause and reflect. I go through a holistic and comprehensive review and reflection ritual that takes me several weeks between December and January. It takes that much time because I don't rush to 'get it over with.'
It's not a task to cross off my list. I only have one life, so recounting and appreciating the latest chapter of it is full of meaning and satisfaction for me. I enjoy the reflection period and take my time to process my thoughts in enjoyable ways such as taking long walks or sitting in my favorite coffee shop with my journal.
“If I were to really go ‘all in’ with long-term goals in terms of impact, what would that look like? ”
The new year is also about creating space for the new, so I wondered: If I were to reclaim the time and energy I spend thinking about posting on social media, designing graphics, and mindlessly browsing - what would I make space for? How could I use that time and energy in different ways?
As I considered this, I realized that the things I want to share to help others are pieces of long-form content that go deep. I like to give context and the whole picture and share my thought process when I create content. Short social media posts are not conducive to the quality, value-driven content I feel called to put out into the world. Social media is a container that makes me create and think in short captions, which doesn't cut it for me anymore (I can barely keep to 1000 words with my blog posts). I started to think more about this and asked myself:
If I were to really go ‘all in’ with long-term goals in terms of impact, what would that look like?
What could happen If I focused all my energy and effort solely towards more substantial and long-lasting effects?
These are a few of my favorite questions I like to ask myself (and my clients) at the end of the year, and I invite you to consider them, too:
What do you want to invite in your life?
What do you want more of?
How are you taking action?
What could happen if you took a small step?
What could happen if you took a BIG step?
(Hint: If any of your responses include less social media, read my blog.)
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What was my answer? More creativity. I have become aware of a deep desire to create more and express myself beyond the limitations of a social media caption.
There was one other question that the community manager at Erickson + presented during our year-end celebration that profoundly resonated with me:
'What if you had more clarity on or an answer to, would make the biggest difference moving forward?'
My response? Are you ready?
“At the end of my life, I want to know the one thing I did or created during my lifetime that’s of value and had a long-lasting impact. What can I put my energy into next year to this end? What mark will I leave on this earth that makes it a better place, and how can I best preserve my memories?”
And friends, I had the stark realization that the only way for me to truly make next year count is to reduce distractions in my life. In order to achieve my goal of leaving a legacy in the world, I need to cut out the noise and focus. I need to be present to tune into my inner voice of guidance and intuition.
I've shared the evolution of my experiences on Instagram over the years and how several exemplary thought leaders have inspired me to consider my position with social media. As I contemplated the past year and considered what I want my impact to be next year, I realized that I need to re-assess the role social media plays in my life and my business as I respond to my heart's call to create longer form content in the future.
In part two of this article, I'll share more about the steps I have decided to take and evaluate whether or not social media is vital to running a successful business. I'll also invite you to consider your approach in line with your values and goals.
“What can I put my energy into next year to this end? What mark will I leave on this earth that makes it a better place, and how can I best preserve my memories?”
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About Maika
Maika mentors heart-centered, impact-driven entrepreneurs to build the foundations of their businesses with her signature Intentional Business Building™ method. Her approach is holistic and integrates the entrepreneur mindset, marketing strategies, and systems to help create sustainable changes and long-lasting results. A lifelong passion for the human psyche, healing arts, and personal growth brought her to coaching. French-born in Japan and now in Istanbul, she's an Epicurean who loves cooking Asian cuisine (especially ramen these days), playing piano and harp, and workshopping everything.
