Hey there,

When it comes to social media, this is the one thing that really matters.

One thing you should know

A friend recently asked me how many followers I had on LinkedIn; honestly, I had no idea.

Obsessing over vanity metrics like followers and likes can lead new content creators in the wrong direction. Here’s why.

First, getting good data without a long history of posts and videos is difficult.

Second, popularity does not equal impact. Funny cat memes are way more entertaining than anything I post, but they don’t meet my mission of “amplifying the voice of those who change their world for good.”

Unless you’re building a large account to monetize with sponsorships, numbers for the sake of numbers shouldn’t be the goal.

Why entertain the masses when all you need to do is teach the few?

So, what numbers do I focus on?

The only thing I can control is how consistently I post, so I create a SMART goal for writing and posting and keep checking in to ensure I’m meeting it.

If I consistently meet my standard, I start focusing on vanity metrics. But if I’m not there yet, those other numbers can wait.

Measure success by the value you bring to others and the connections you build. The vanity metrics will take care of themselves.

One thing you should do

There’s a new trend where people do something while talking to video. I’ve experimented with it quite a bit and have seen good results.

Your challenge this week is to create a video with a visual illustration. Grab a mini whiteboard or stand in front of a full-sized one and sketch out a concept while talking about it.

There are many types of illustrations:

Venn Diagram for illustrating commonalities and differences.

Flowchart for explaining linear processes or decision-making paths.

Cycle Diagram for illustrating ongoing processes or life cycles.

If your illustration is complicated, write the first bits before hitting record. That way, you don’t get tripped up while trying to talk and write.

And another thing

We’ve all seen the studies and read the quotes about the power of body language and how it communicates to others.

But social psychologist Amy Cuddy goes one step further. She says each person’s body language affects themselves as well.

If you’re going to watch one video this week, it should be this one.

Next video I post, I’m rocking a power pose 2 minutes before I hit record. I’ll report back on my findings.

What should I write about next? Just hit reply and let me know.

Until next time,

Will