New moon social media musings and magic...
Your guide to a new age of social media 🦄
I keep hearing the words 'slow your roll' in my head. Whether about posting to social media or just getting out of bed. We are all feeling pretty tired from what I hear. Add social media and a treadmill of content, both to create and consume, to the mix, that so many people using social media feel like they are on.
Some important research, the largest independent, open market study of creators ever done, has just come out. It's about 'The Rise of the Independent Creator', which I have been geeking out on, to understand what it means for my business, that of my clients and the world of social media.
The 'creator economy' is one of many tech trends of the 2020's social media landscape, a new kind of entrepreneurship. With people spending more time at home during the pandemic, opportunities to monetise that time naturally began to emerge from big tech in bigger ways. From tips on TikTok and YouTube, to Spotlight on Snapchat and the new subscription features coming to Instagram and Facebook.
Have you also noticed a rise in random DM's asking you to promote products on your social media pages? And for those with audiences big enough, increased invitations for brand partnerships and sponsored posts. More people than ever are making money online, and in new ways, promoting their creative content, services, products or time under the guise of being or becoming a social media ‘influencer’ (which apparently 75% of American teens want to be when they grow up…).
The social media Town Square of yesteryear is now very much a digital Market Square.
‘We have created, through social media, this promise of making money following your passions. And the game is rigged. The game is rigged and it is somewhat offensive to me how rigged the game is.’
~ Gina Bianchini
It’s ‘the house always wins’ scenario like with casinos. Where companies like Meta are the mob.
In order to make a sustainable living from creating and sharing content on social media, or posting online to promote your small business, creating content to keep up with the algorithms can put people under a lot of pressure. Much of that comes from US, you and me, who affect the algorithms more than we know (more on this later). The short and tall of it is, that to make money this way, we have allowed the algorithms, the AI and our computers to control our lives in more ways than we can perceive.
They hook us all; our time, attention and data which is leading people into physical, mental and emotional burnout. The researchers for the whitepaper spoke to 1,624 creators and qualified them to ensure that they are currently earning an income online from what they do.
93% say that being a creator has introduced stresses that have ‘negatively impacted their lives’, with 45% saying they’ve experienced ‘big emotional lows'. Only 35% of all creators feel they’re earning a reasonable income and putting in an acceptable amount of time and effort. This means 65% of creators feel overworked and/or underpaid. WHAT THEY SAID ‘There’s no tutorial to get you over the overwhelm and the burnout.’ ‘What’s good for a platform is not good for a person. Trying to have a business online without exploiting myself to make the algorithm Gods happy is so hard.’ 'It’s tough because you are literally at the mercy of an algorithm. It wants consistency and product. And it wants it on the regular.’ ‘It’s not sustainable for a human being. In fact, it’s not human.’ Source: Rise of the Independent Creator : The Whitepaper
It's a big deal and we need to do more about it. Because everyone I know using social media in their business is in some way playing the game. Whether we like it or not. So what can we do? How do we get out of this entrapment? SLOW OUR ROLL. I said I would circle back round to the algorithm, didn't I? ‘It is subjective, personal, and unique — and defines the spirit of what we hope to achieve.’ ~ Meta.com The algorithm responds to us. It is personal, subjective and unique. As I wrote about in my first book, it learns from us (machine learning) and is in a constant state of iteration. Both for us individually and collectively. We co-create our experience on social media with AI and each other. When you choose to keep up with what you perceive are the ‘rules’ of the game, then that perception creates actions, which then props up the system and results in the reality we experience. If you slow your roll, and if everyone slows their roll, then the machine learning aspect of the AI should adapt to us and slow its own roll. In order to slow MY roll, I’m experimenting with only posting once or twice a week on Instagram and also by moving my content to other platforms. And by looking at what’s coming next to these online spaces, with the metaverse et al. And the direction companies like Meta and Google are taking, where we integrate more deeply within the digital environment, into an embodied internet experience. THIS is where I think we can change the game. By choosing something different. By saying no. By choosing different models. For example the community economy. This is by its very nature decentralised, bridging us from the town / market squares into smaller living room spaces and places online and off. SPACEs to invest in your people, in connections and in relationships. Creating the right conditions for people to meet and build relationships with each other, share their stories, experiences and ideas. Helping people to be themselves, whilst growing, learning and accomplishing things together. SPACEs we hold, that bring meaning and purpose to our lives and the people around us. Where we are in charge. Where we are the change. SPACEs where we can slow it all down. And breathe. SPACEs where we create less content and more connection. With smaller groups of people. With much less need to ‘feed the beast’ of big tech. Quality over quantity. A more sustainable, collaborative and less competitive business model, that is better on everyone’s nervous systems. I’m still learning and exploring this in my own business and with clients and will share more with you as it unfolds. In the mean time. Slow your roll. Love Kdot x
As part of my migration, my bridging out of the Meta lands of Facebook and Instagram, I will be publishing regular articles to Substack. Writing is something I want to work with more deeply within my social media practice, and this feels like a good place for me to play with that. There are a couple of articles already up there. One on what it feels like to show up on social media consistently and one one different platforms we can use for future proofing. If you would like to receive them in your inbox, subscribe here, as I won’t be posting them all here to my monthly newsletter list.
I have also just created a course for you, as I am being asked the same questions about other platforms and what I think of them, so I created this to support those of you interested in exploring your options outside of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google and co. It takes an hour, and is made up of a number of short videos, breaking down the different platforms I’ve been looking at or introduced to (which I will be adding to) – alongside a guided visualisation to explore one of your choice energetically, to get insights from your intuition. It’s £25 and comes with access to Social Media For A New Age SPACEon Mighty Networks.
"Create a space where you can renew yourself over and over. Be clear-minded and cautious. Don't try for too muUse your new way of being at home as a foundation for exploration and adventure, as a way to feel safe enough in yourself to be able to find common ground with people you wouldn't usually consider allies. It's time for all of us to delete the habit of pushing on alone, without allies and resources, getting the timing wrong because of old fears." Lorna Bevan, 5D report February 2022
Quick card reading for February 2022.... So much juiciness in this reading. Creative accountability meets manifestation through portal doors opening when you tap into your creator alchemy, when you drop your fears and align with your dreams, as you approach your social media and online presence with happiness, joy and balance to and transmit your light to others... 🛸🌈🦄📱🙏🏽