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| Social Media Sincerity |
Did you know there are well over three hundred social media websites? For writers, some sites have the potential to build a larger readership, grow their platform, and expand their business. However, it’s essential you weigh your social media sincerity for its value.
If not monitored, social media slowly slurps away your time. At the end of the day, many realize the productivity gauge is still on empty. They struggle trying to find a balance between networking and actually writing.Are the games, news, and videos the distractions? Decide what it is you want.
Be true to your calling first. Which do you want to do the most—circulate or create? Networking is important to the writer’s business, but what’s the point if the writer is never in the business of writing?
When you do socialize on Facebook, YouTube, and the like, stand firm in your Christian beliefs. Don’t fade into the background in fear or camouflage your heart in order to conform. Be courageous. Choose authenticity over popularity.
Another checkpoint of sincerity is endorsements. One popular practice among business professionals is reciprocal recommendations. One social media venue for this is LinkedIn. Professionals build contacts, promote their skills and businesses, and provide endorsements for other professionals. However, I question the authenticity of some of the endorsements.
Once, I had a gentleman endorse me for my poetry writing. That’s fantastic. Except I’ve never written poetry, so how can he endorse it? I removed the endorsement and sent the man a message thanking him, but explaining the situation. A cordial invitation to visit my blog followed so he could see what I do write. A few days later, I received a nice note apologizing for his hasty error. He added there should be a tab for endorsing integrity. Now, he reads my blog.
So many LinkedIn profiles sport the all-too-familiar photos under their endorsements that one questions their sincerity. Obviously, some people are just out to see how many endorsements they can give and receive. Their recommendations are untrustworthy. If you see endorsements by me on LinkedIn, then you can trust I have actually experienced their work in some form. Even if a good friend lists cake baking as a skill—if I haven’t tasted one of her cakes, or know for a fact that she won a blue ribbon for one, I won’t endorse it. So, bring on the cakes!
Our words mean diddly to the majority of the world but they should stand for something.
“For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Luke 6:45 (NIV)
Be sincere in whatever God is calling you to do—whether that is writing something excellent, engaging others in a conversation, or recommending a good book. Let your words not be empty but empower them by carrying the weight of truth.
We would love to hear feedback on this post!
Have you questioned the integrity of social media? In what ways do you practice sincerity when using it?
And now to announce our giveaway contest winner of Vanessa Fortenberry’s book, Mama, I Want to See God.
Using the integrity of Rafflecopter to make a random selection, our winner is Rosaura Maria Cluxton. Congratulations, Rosaura! I’ll be sending you an email requesting your address so I can mail your book.
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