The false effects of followers on Socials

When you are building a business in this age, you rely heavily on Social Media. You do an event and you tag someone or tell them to follow you, they like your post, they comment "go girl" fire emoji, and when they do you feel accomplished and seen. You also start to build a network, especially for event planners, of vendors that can be trusted and then shared to others when they need a recommendation. I am asked daily for my favorite vendors, my tips on travel, my tips on being a mother, how an outfit looks on a friend, what restaurant to eat in. I daily get asked on what to eat and what workouts to do and how to stay as fit as I do. You name it, people ask me. Even yesterday I was asked for my advice on an orthopedic knee surgeon. (which I have a fabulous one) And why? Because I am detail-oriented, meticulous and resourceful. As most Virgo based event planners are. Not because of the amount of followers that I have. That doesn't make you resourceful.

However, when you start to build this hoard of followers, whether it be on instagram, facebook, tiktok or even Linkedin - you have to ask yourself are these actual friends? Maybe some (a select few are) Or are these people just collecting names to their "social roladex" When you hit 10K or even 20K do you become an influencer? Well that depends. If you are getting paid for each thing you recommend and can monetize on the followers, likes and comments then yes you are an influencer. But if you are just amassing followers then it's a lonely build. Those people don't ask you how your day is going, they don't know what makes you tick and what can make you feel better after a bad day. Those followers that you are so proudly collecting and cataloging in your troup are just that - social media followers, not friends.

So just take a moment of each day to realize that however beneficial social media can be, keep yourself grounded. Those people are just that - your followers. And probably do not think about you every day or even once a month. They click and move on. As well as what site are they following you on? Tiktok? Ok they like your videos. Instagram - they know you a bit better. Facebook- they are actual friends and family for a long time. Linkedin- they have your business card or met you once. How many followers do you have on each of those sites? That will tell you how many people actually support you and why.

As an event planner and a mom, I try to be realistic about the negative effects of social media, especially with two gen alpha children that fall into this rabbit hole. As I stated above, remember where the followers are and what avenue they follow you on. This can help guide you into knowing if they are really supporting you - or just do it for the likes. Follow with caution and accept followers with care.