Maybe you want to learn new skills and take more risks.

You may have decided you’re tired of lurking behind the scenes, and you want to create authentic content and become influential on social media.

I have shared what I’m about to say with anyone who’s cared to listen. Before I started to work for myself, I was terrified of social media. I had no clue what to share. People’s potential opinions of the content I came up with would put me into a state of panic. And I know I am not alone.

People have told me that being a perfectionist means they spend too long trying to create the “right” content. Others have admitted they are concerned whether they may overshare. Many of you have confessed to taking so long deciding what to share, you eventually talk yourself out of sharing anything.

If you are fed up with not being seen and want to know how to create authentic content in 2020, here are three points to remember.

1. Come as you are

Often, the number one force hindering the path to creating authentic content is the need to be perfect. Having the right equipment, putting your best foot forward, the need for content to look beautiful can take the spontaneity out of sharing content.

This mindset will hold you back. The best content; content that went viral did so because it was the most real, poorly produced impulsive kind of content.

If you want to create more content for the future, share what’s on your heart now. Good content is about sharing your thoughts, what makes you laugh, and the things that inspire you with your audience.

If you are ready to build a personal brand on social media, get willing to share what you value. Post your ideas, spark conversations and get a feel of content you create well. Think less about getting likes and more about creating. The more you create, you’ll improve, and the recognition will come.

2. There are no rules

You may think that there is a correct way to create content – as if there are unspoken regulations content creators must abide by if they want their content to be deemed acceptable.

Anyone abiding by so-called rules is seriously stifling their creativity and authenticity. Beyond your personal values, why would you allow the rest of the world to dictate how you present yourself on social media? It defeats the object of authentic content.

Not even the President of the United States sticks to the rules. Whether you agree with how President Trump uses social media or not, something has got to be said about being your true self. It’s what people want to see on social media. The President may have been less likely to have got to where he is by censoring himself.

Perhaps the President isn’t the greatest of examples. But, you have to get comfortable with who you are and create content that represents you.

It’s why the Kardashians and others like them do so well. Use social media to share your truth in whatever capacity that may be. Only by being forthright and real will you create authentic content that your audience cares about.

You cannot be influential on social media if you are not prepared to share some of who you are.

3. Don't sweat the small stuff

“Don’t get too deep; it leads to overthinking, and overthinking leads to problems that don’t even exist in the first place.”

– Jayson Engay

How many times have people missed out on golden opportunities because they overthought stuff? How many people found problems that did not exist because they spent too long thinking things over?

Creating authentic content and sharing it on social media to build a brand means being willing to try new things. You can only know what works by trying it out. 

Give yourself permission to get things wrong even more so when you are starting on social media. Ever heard the saying ‘Fail Fast’. Some may say there’s no such thing as failing. Whichever phrase you stand by the sentiment is the same. Mistakes are periods of learning. Only when you learn the lesson, can you move ahead to greater heights.

I hope you enjoyed this article. Let me know in the comments if you did, and your thoughts on creating authentic content on social media. Also, go ahead and browse the blog section for more articles, just like this one.