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Does this sound familiar: “Hey everyone, I’ve been thinking of switching things up and trying something new, would you mind if I start _____?”
Fill in the blank with whatever fits. Do you mind if I start posting about books? Do you mind if I start sharing more casual outfits? Do you mind if I add stickers to my shop? It’s not really a mistake but one misstep I see again and again from my friends is when they feel they have to announce a change. Usually this can be seen on social media when someone starts to develop a new style or interest, but it can also be from a shop or maker who has specialized in one skill or style and is now starting to spread their wings creatively. To be clear the issue isn’t that the urge to feel out your audience’s interest in new products, but rather that feeling that you need approval to try something new or share something new. So often when when we make these announcements or ask these questions not as a marketing tool to gauge the audience’s interest, but as a way to get endorsement for our new interest.
Wanting approval isn’t wrong—which is why I don’t see this as a mistake—but I do see these sorts of posts as a misstep because so often it’s an excuse. It’s an excuse to put off what we are passionate about doing. I think we do it intentionally to slow down change—because change is scary! I can’t switch up my style or my photography or shoot that new thing because I don’t know how it will be received. We spend time thinking about how we’re going to make the change, how we’re going to announce the change, then waiting for the feedback from the announcement and each step is a roadblock to actually doing the thing! And if someone actually says “no, I hope you don’t change” then suddenly we have an excuse to not grow.
If there’s one thing I feel is true from all my years in social media it is this: people respond to passion. If you’re excited about it and you convey that excitement you will either find an audience who also shares that excitement or you’ll make others feel passionate about something they didn’t even know about before! Passion is contagious! I can watch a video essay about the most random topics that I am ill-informed about but the person giving the essay is fervent and excited and that pulls me in. The same is true in reverse. If you’re so stuck in a routine of what feels safe to create that you’re getting bored, then your audience is going to get bored as well. It might feel “safe” because it’s always been successful before, but it’s actually stagnating and only when we try something new can we grow and also show a new facet of ourselves or our talents to our audiences—or build a new community!
If you do feel the need to announce a change, then go ahead and make an announcement post. But equally if you’re nervous about the response to change, perhaps it might be better to just take that leap. Because at the end of the day, you can give advance notice or ask permission--but you still don’t know what will happen until you actually make that change.
All the best,
Rebecca
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