Since taking a year off from studying medicine, I've increased my presence online to help promote the message of zero waste living and minimalism. However, faced with the myriad of opportunities out there, I've decided to apply some minimalist principles to social media. Here's how I want to mindfully produce content this year...
There are currently three primary social media outlets for me:
1. Blog
2. Instagram
3. Facebook
The month of January involved setting up these new social media outlets (primarily the blog and Facebook page) to extend the content I share on my Instagram page. Inspired by The Minimalists post on how they plan to use social media in 2018, I decided to do the same.
Here's the criteria for the type of content I want to produce in 2018:
1. Be of service
The reason why I decided to take a year off medicine was because I wanted to dedicate a year of my life to service. I wanted to be of service to the environment by spreading the message of zero waste living and minimalism. I am committing myself to ensure every post that put up, every piece of writing that I put out and every picture I take, is intentional and of added value.
2. Quality over quantity
The internet is a noisy place. Whenever I ever felt stressed or overwhelmed about a situation at work, my father-in-law gave me the best advice "Ignore the noise". I don't want my social media presence to add to the noise of the internet, I want my content to be quality pieces that are purpose-driven. My engineering background has enforced a strong sense of pragmatism in everything I do. I want to apply the same sort of pragmatism to my social media presence. I am committed to bettering myself as a writer and as a person. I want to aim for quality content rather than just add to the noise.
3. Authenticity
Being an every day activist, means being real. My favourite writers and bloggers are ones that raw, authentic and passionate. They are men and women who aren't afraid to be vulnerable and show their courage by embracing their truth. I want to show you that being an environmentalist is the most authentic way to live your truth, because at the crux of this, we all need to be better caretakers of the planet we call home. I want to hone my voice to show that we can all live an eco-luxe life that embraces modern living with eco-principles.
My social media manifesto in 2018
One lesson I've learnt throughout the start of my social media platforms is that I want each platform to have a unique purpose. I don't want each platform to be just a promotion for one format or a copy of the other. Since I've streamlined it down to three platforms, I want to share how I plan to use each platform for purpose-driven content.
A platform for monthly challenges with daily updates on those challenges
Quality pictures with meaningful, short, snappy commentary
Sharing of articles and long form content about sustainability and zero waste living
Sharing my instagram posts because some people don't have access to Instagram
Blog
Sharing my thoughts and writing long form articles with a focus on improving my writing and sharing meaningful content
A reference page of recipes and DIYs
A creative outlet that allows to me to go in-depth for my most popular Instagram posts
This process has given me clarity. It has shown me how important it is to create a manifesto for the work that I want to do this year. I can't wait to share more with you. I would love to hear more about your minimalist principles and how it applies to social media.
Thank you so much for your support! I appreciate the kind feedback xo
I found this very helpful. Thank you. Love your insta-work.