Why It’s Important to Stay Authentic Online #AuthenticME
And that is perfectly fine. Everyone has a different comfort level for what they share online.
This post is sponsored by Domain.ME
Have you ever talked on the phone with someone often, but once you met them in person, they were completely different from you imagined? Being online is a bit like that. So, why is it important to stay authentic online? Glad you asked.
Stay Authentic Online
When online , it is important to stay authentic. At the very basic level, if you aren’t authentic, you are lying.
When a model on the cover of a magazine has been altered to appear smaller for whatever reason, we aren’t happy. We feel like someone lied to us. It is the same as pretending you are living a life you aren’t living.
Let’s apply that same concept online.
- Glorious Vacations
When we see the photos from our friends of the glorious vacations they are taking, we get jealous. What we aren’t seeing is the years of overtime they put in at work (and time away from family) to save for that glorious vacation.
- Beautiful Homes
When we see a photo of a friend who bought a beautiful home, we may get jealous. What we are not seeing is the years that friend lived in a very small rental apartment to save enough money to buy the beautiful home.
- Winning Awards
When we see friends win awards at competitions, we may also get a bit jealous.
What we are not seeing is years where they spent many hours in a studio practicing . The struggles and the injuries that came before that award.
That is why it is important to share your life in a very authentic way. If you were looking at those same photos of your friend’s vacation while at their house, you might say, “oh wow, you are so lucky getting to go on such glorious vacations.”
Your friend would reply, “I spent the last ten years working every Saturday and being away from my family so I could save enough money to take this one glorious vacation.”
When online, you often do not have the same background information. You can only go by what someone shares with you. Hence the importance of being authentic.
Authenticity and Future Generations
The next generation will spend more of their lives online that we do now. It is important for them to see the bad with the good.
If all they see is how great everyone’s life is and at the same time they know the reality of their own life, they will feel they are not as good as everyone else. They will never know that struggling is part of the journey and wonder why they struggle so much.
If you plan to create a personal brand online, be sure you are being true to yourself and being authentic. Do not create a persona that is completely different from who you are. When you do meet in person, people will be disappointed and will not trust you in the future.
A photo posted by Michele McGraw (@scrappinmichele) on
You do not need to share every detail of your life, but share the struggles along with the results of the struggle.
Wondering how to be authentic online? Read my blog post with 6 tips showing you how to be authentic.
Let’s Talk About Staying Authentic!
Do you think about being authentic online? Or creating a personal brand online? Have you ever known someone online and were shocked when you met them in person for the first time because they were completely different than their online persona?
Disclosure: This post was inspired and sponsored by Domain.ME, the provider of the personal domains that end in .ME. As a company, they aim to offer thought leadership to the tech world. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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I haven’t had a situation like chatting with a stranger online and then met him or her in person. I heard them from my friends, but really do not have an experience. Moreover I prefer not to disclose my real identity over the internet.
And that is perfectly fine. Everyone has a different comfort level for what they share online.