How to overcome the fear of posting on social media

Three easy steps you can take today!

Most of us are uncomfortable when posting on social media. It is scary. I know. I’ve been there myself. 

In 2019 I didn’t even have a profile picture on LinkedIn.

My Instagram was very private, and I hadn’t posted anything since the two posts I put up there in 2013. One of them was of my two kids, the other one of when I crashed our car.

At the time I never commented, or liked anyone else’s posts either.

I was a complete social media rookie 

But I realized, that, if I want to do something completely different compared to what I had done until then, if I wanted to make an impact and to create the life as I wanted to live it, I needed to become a public person. 

Here are some statistics for as to why you need to be on social media

Currently, there are 3.8 billion social media users. 3.8 billion people! That’s almost half of the total population. 

And 80% in the ages of 30 to 60 are on social media daily, for on average 2.5 hours.

That’s 2.5 hours of every person's day, where you, if you post on social media, could get their attention. 

That is a huge number of people your posts can be in front of.

Doesn’t make it easier though, does it?

What held me back was also the thought of - what if they don’t like what I’m posting? 

How can I even post something that is meaningful?

I mean, meaningful to them, what it is that they want to see? 

The whole point in posting on social media is that people see it. And that they comment on it. That increases the probability for your post to be shared, and spread to more people, which increases the possibility that you’re getting noticed by more, and more, and more people.

That’s what you want. 

Of course you will most likely not attract each and every one of of those 3.8 billion people. 

But, you will most likely attract a couple of trolls on your path. Unfortunately, that’s part of the whole deal. Not everyone is kind, supportive and in a good mood, and many have the feeling they have to share that with the rest of the world. But look at it on the bright side then, when you have your first troll - that is when you’ve actually made it. 

So what do you do then? 

You remove the comment, block the person - and forget about it. 

That’s all. No more. No less.

Remove, block and forget.

And then you do your next posts. 

But you might not even be there yet, you might still be stuck in the thought of “Where do I even start?” 

Step One - Pick ONE Platform

Pick the platform where you feel a bit more comfortable compared to the others. Start with ONE. 

So, pick your number one Platform - where you will start exposing yourself and your business.

And I say exposing yourself - because in order to have real, long term success, we need to be authentic on social media. Especially if you have a personal brand, but even when you’re building up a product brand.

There are people on the other side of that social media connection. Real people. Who want to connect with real people too. 

Step Two - Get Inspired

The next thing is to look at what others post, things you like yourself. Save those posts. Don’t copy or steal them, but let them inspire you. Give you ideas of what you could post too. 

Of course you can, and should, ask your audience what it is that they want and need. But, when you’re starting out, just the mere thought of having to ask someone what they would like to learn from you, is reason enough to never, ever wanting to post on social media.

Which is why that’s not where we start. We take small, and easy steps.

One thing, which is a bit less personal, but that always gets the best response on my Instagram account is quotes. Pick a quote or a couple of them. Redesign them using Canva and post it. You didn’t say what’s on the post. But it still means something to you - so it’s personal anyways. And people get to comment on it. 

Step Three - Your First Post

In November, 2019 I posted my very first post on Instagram.

In the evening.

Bad idea.

I was so nervous about what everyone would say and write that I constantly checked whether I had received any comments, and I don’t think I slept for the whole night. Until this day, in total I got six comments from very close friends on that post.

That’s it. S-I-X comments. All kind and very supportive.

But at least I had done it. I had opened up my profile from being private, to be come public, and I had posted my very first, real business related post.

Step Four - Get Help or Take a Class

If steps one to three still seem as a too big hurdle to get over, I suggest you seek assistance.

What helped me immensely was that I took a ten weeks Instagram Course.

I learned how to post, how to design my posts, what fonts I should, and shouldn’t use, about the light, how to make an IGTV - but most importantly, what it gave me was the courage to actually just start doing it. 

If you start today, and take regular action, and steps - I promise you, that latest in three months from now, you will be the most confident social media poster.

Good luck, and let me know how it goes!