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My family has been enjoying the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary, about a Philadelphia public school with limited means that’s run by a principal obsessed with social media and youth. Abbott’s teachers are from different generations with almost nothing in common, but what they share is an incredible dedication to their professions and students. You may have heard that actress Sheryl Lee Ralph won an Emmy for her role as Teacher Barbara Howard. She’s outstanding.
The other night we watched the episode “Wishlist” and it struck a chord. Read on…it’s coming.
The teachers have shared their wish list of school supplies with the greater community, and instead of receiving the necessary notebooks and pencils that are needed, people are dropping off old fax machines that might smoke once plugged in.
Twenty-something teacher, Miss Teagues–ever the optimist–puts together a simple video to share on social media but history teacher Mr. Hill says that it’s missing a little something … the internet is a big place and you need to cut through the noise.
Anyone practicing social media as part of their career marketing efforts has heard about “cutting through the noise.” Am I right?
Miss Teagues seeks out Principal Ava Coleman who just happens to have a green screen in her office. Miss Teagues comments, I can get you a lot of views and that means a lot of supplies. But I’m gonna need full creative control. Do you twerk?
Do you twerk?
The stylized video in which Miss Teagues looks like a Marvel character gets 20K views in a matter of hours and is even shared by Taye Diggs! Her school supplies runneth over.
Now, Mrs. Howard, a seasoned motherly type, hasn’t gotten any new supplies and her students are using water to paint with. So Miss Teagues calls upon Principal Coleman again for help. Principal Coleman creates an emotionally manipulative video that makes the students and teachers look sad, impoverished, and hopeless. The video goes viral. Mrs. Howard receives boxes of supplies and genuinely believes that the Good Lord is working on her behalf. Until a group of influencers shows up with more cases of supplies each holding up their iPhones to capture Mrs. Howard’s reaction does Miss Teagues fess up to her meddling.
Mrs. Howard makes it clear that she doesn’t want her students to think they are lesser than others. To paraphrase…My kids don’t have half of the supplies they need most of the time, but they don’t need to know that. Our job is to build them up and make them confident. My students don’t need to feel less than others because they do not have stuff. Talk about what they do have, and not what they don’t.
Talk about what you do have not what you don’t.
You are not lesser than.
Last month I had a long conversation with a book influencer who suggested I write a post, “Do you like your online persona?” She categorized authors into 5 groups:
- The over-promoter
- I get this social media stuff. I like it and I understand it, but have my limitations
- I only post around the publication of my book
- Hear my emotional pleas
- The over-commenter (also the person who is on social media a little too much)
Take a minute. Think about all this.
The last few months, I’ve been hearing panic from authors about social media. I should likely rephrase that. The panic is always there more often than not. It’s just when you’re feeling cozier than a hygge photo, that a huge algorithm change or worse – a brand new social media platform that appeals to the greater population (and – wait WHAT – it sells books) leaves you thinking it’s time to show your twerk.
There goes that panic again and the need to seek out Principal Coleman to turn you into Black Widow.
Before you buy the green screen, consider what you have.
For many of the authors I know, there is so much beauty, generosity, acclaim, and sheer talent in their lives. There is also heartbreak, heartache, death, concern, sickness. There are children, hobbies, sports, partners, community, pets, art, music. Find the balance. As Simon Sinek says, find your why.
Meta will continue to change Facebook and Instagram. And you may never ever get VERIFIED, but you’re still going to practice good social media.
You can invest in increasing your followers on Instagram, but understand that your followers do not equal your readership.
Your publisher and people in the greater book and/or social media communities can tell you to post daily! Engage more! Ugly cry on TikTok! Be on ALL THE PLATFORMS! Autopost to multiple platforms to save time! You’re either all in or you’re out! Get an intern! A college student is the best! Outsource all of your social media! Your combined followers should relate to your book sales! Posting to social media will increase your sales!
All of the above is nonsense.
Social Media doesn’t need to be a mask. Change doesn’t need to come with panic. Doing a REEL over a POST may get more LIKES but it shouldn’t come with sacrifice.
Your social media could be meaningful. It could even be fun. But it should never ever take away from your writing.
If you met your online persona at a cocktail party, would you like her/him?