Why is She Following You?

In previous generations, the question, why is she following you, did not provoke positive implications. Being followed meant someone you do not know or recognize is in pursuit of you for an unknown reason. If you wanted to figure out that reason, you had to stop, face the stranger and engage in a conversation. Although, would there even be a conversation? Were they following you to steal something from you or hurt you?

Today, the general population that has chosen to engage in social media wants people to follow them. When you first open your account, people who have a personal relationship with you will follow. Then, their friends may follow you because of the mutual relationship. Then there’s a pivot point. When you start to receive requests from people whom you have never met.

Why do they want to follow you? Maybe they’re using a social media strategy that looks at who YOU follow and believes you will be interested in their content and products as well. Maybe he is a creepy stranger that is trying to meet women online because he cannot find a date in reality. Or, they want to follow you because the content and product you create provides value to them.

The point. We now value a high number of people “following” us. 

Yesterday, I was in the search section of my Instagram account. In all honesty, there was a reel (a 15 to 30 second video) that appeared of a person I do not admire. When I saw the number of views they had and the number of people that follow them, I felt annoyed.

Why? Because they has more followers than me. Silly and shallow as it seems, that is how I felt.

Now aware of this, I want to redefine what followers on social media means for me. As I grow my business, in some ways I am hesitant to build a social media presence. I am afraid that I may succumb to the follows, likes, hearts, and stats as I have in the past. Yet, is it possible to create a social media presence that simply grows my ability to connect with my potential, ideal people, as opposed to a metric that directly defines my value?

Quantity versus quality. The followers that I have, why are they following me? Through my social media, am I building a community that could actually engage in a face to face conversation? Does this community share my values, hopes, dreams, style and book genre? Will this community cheerlead my business and provide honest feedback so I can continue to provide greater value to them?

One more question that digs even deeper. How do I strengthen the foundation of my soul to prevent the measurements of this world to define my value?

For me, it is spending time daily with God. To be reminded that the one who created this world created me. The Master’s masterpiece. You are his masterpiece as well, with a unique set of gifts, talents, and personality to live a life full of joy.

You are of high value before you even do anything. When you DO, out of knowing that you are a masterpiece, you will create what you were designed to create without worrying if you are bringing value. Because you ARE value. Followers do not reflect your value. They reflect WHAT you value.