by Sally Matheny
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| Social Media Sincerity |
Did you know there are well over three hundred social
media outlets?
Some sites have the potential to build a larger
readership, grow platforms, and expand businesses. However, it’s
essential you weigh your social media sincerity if you plan to offer anything of value.
What do you offer? A product? Words of wisdom? 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 in 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 for 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. I removed the endorsement and sent the man a message. I thanked him,
but explained 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 on my profile where he could endorse
integrity. Now, he follows my blog.
They've changed the format a bit on LinkedIn. At one time the profiles sported people's photos as endorsements for someone's skills. All-too-familiar
photos kept appearing on numerous profiles. I saw them so often, I questioned 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. Empower them by allowing them to carry the weight of truth.
I would love to hear from you.
Have you questioned the integrity of social media?
In what
ways do you practice sincerity when using it?
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