You are excited about an issue, you want to Facebook it; twit it or blog about it. You have written and you think wow, what a great piece, you share with friends secretly first, they too think it was great! Now it is time to click that button, the SUBMIT button, and you realize hmmmm, is this really going to make it, how many people may read, what if my boss doesn’t like it? what are people going to say about me, are they going to support, congratulate me or bust be off! Instead of clicking the SUBMIT button, you have unknowingly clicked the PANIC button!
The Facebooker
You read your piece again and perhaps change a few sentences to make it a bit friendlier, according you, hopping your message has not changed much; finally you conclude “come what may” (kama mbaya ni mbaya – Kiswahili) and click the post is gone public, you lost control! At this point you probably went to pick a cup of coffee, or tea to diffuse your tension and wait for your first response.
Publishing a blog, submitting information on your Facebook wall or twitting something is comparable to farming. ‘It is like letting a day old chick out there and hope that it finds its own level and grow into a mature chicken and produce eggs,’ Julie Kantor of Million Women Mentors. ‘Digital farming’ is when you intentionally expose yourself through the content of what you share in public. As a digital farmer, you hope your ideas grow through your audience and audience’s network. If you attract more audience who are willing to share your posts within their networks or better still through their blogs, the viral your ideas can spread, making you a successful digital farmer.
Before you finish that cut of coffee, early harvest starts; ‘wow this was great’ coming from the person you least expect; ‘Hey I saw your blog post, it was phenomenon.’ Your boss calls you and says, ‘You nailed it Carla[1]. We need to talk,’ your promotion is at door steps! When you get on your face book, you cannot imagine the number of likes and comments; twitter is twitting and rewetting. In a blink of an eye you have become a superstar on the web – a successful digital farmer!
‘The fear of exposing yourself and your thoughts for people to read is a daunting thing. Not everyone is as comfortable as others when it’s a part of you on the line.’ AMANDA LEIGH
When you write about something you are passionate about, you will rarely go wrong so go ahead and click that button!
Guess how many times I have read this blog before I clicked SUMIT? Have you hesitated to submit a blog post before? What was your biggest fear? Share your story.
[1] This name is made up!