Do You Believe the Hype?

Nowadays, the level of a specialist’s competence is determined by the number of likes, comments, and subscribers he/she has on social media.

Marketers and coaches call a social media presence a “personal brand”. This phrase is has become hackneyed over the years that it makes me yawn, sneeze, and vomit at the same time. But I don’t have a better one. The way you look on social media is your “personal brand”, and how strong your “personal brand” is determines the number of your customers, amount of money, future success.

Don’t believe me? Then check the hypothesis for yourself. Would you hire a designer who has seven Instagram followers and no portfolio? Would you get plastic surgery from a surgeon who doesn’t have hundreds of happy reviews on Facebook? Would you buy an expensive course from a business coach who likes his own photos because no one else does (except his mom)?

The answer is no. You have a clear model: a person’s level of expertise is related to their social media recognition.

The more followers, likes, and comments a person has, the cooler the specialist is. There is a “community” around him (another hackneyed term that makes me yawn, sneeze, and vomit at the same time), he creates content, he has a portfolio (read, “experience”) and reviews (read, “other people have tried and did not die”). You have several instincts at once: gregarious, hierarchical, social confirmation effect. And an empty account for a modern specialist makes you think that he started his career yesterday.

It’s not euro or dollars but likes and subscriptions that are our new currency. So pawn heirlooms, sell grandma’s apartment, take out all the loans you can, and invest in your… what’s it called? Oh! Personal brand!