[Rant] How Social Media Playfulness Leads to Meaningful Connections

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Social media often gets a bad rap, and it often deserves it. 

On the other hand, social media may well be the biggest, most fun playground ever. 🙂  

And, I’m not just talking about frivolous fun. I’m talking about an AWESOME playground with creative superpowers and unprecedented opportunities to develop meaningful connections.

Amongst social media’s creative superpowers, my favorite (as you may well know) is video. Social media is constantly reinventing video in a morphing media form that most currently spans a spectrum from TikTok and IGTV (and, yes, Reels) to Facebook Live, YouTube, Zoom, and Loom, just to name a few. 

Has there ever been a video playground so abundant with creative opportunities to experiment and try new things? And, when you try new things, there’s no telling what will happen. That’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout!

One of those things that might happen, perhaps serendipitously, is that you might make some meaningful connections with like minds who resonate with your creations.

It’s in making these kinds of authentic connections that you can, if you are willing to play and experiment, make social media meaningful. And, I hope you know that I’m not talking about my thousands of Facebook “friends.” 

I’m talking about authentic long-term relationships that are sustained through an Engaging Social Media Presence (my new acronym is ESMP). Because nothing meaningful is ever built with a single click, these kinds of social media connections require nurturing through the values that I champion, specifically, consistency and authenticity, as well as (and I know I’m getting a bit circular here) playfulness and video.

So, when someone makes you aware of how truly evil Facebook (and others) can be, please don’t forget that there’s a flip side that is also true. 

When you use social media with a spirit of playfulness and experimentation it leads to expanded creativity and connections.

And, oh yeah, this quote (that’s on the social media graphic that’s attached to this post) came out of my recent webinar, “Beyond the Hype: Social Media Marketing That Really Works!” 

If you’re interested, you can check out that webinar for free, no registration required, here: https://www.combridges.com/free-social-media-marketing-webinar/

Thanks for reading!

Can Creativity Really Happen Without Getting Messy? I Think Not.

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I like to think of creativity as play. There’s always an element of experimentation, trial and error, messiness, risk taking, and ultimately, if you’re lucky, celebration. We love it when it works, and there’s also a satisfaction that comes from just being “in the arena,” putting yourself out there. I feel blessed when I get to play creatively, in any way I can.

Outcomes are a whole other subject. “The Journey is (truly) the reward.” It’s only an adventure when you can’t predict exactly what is going to happen. There’s no “game” if you’re guaranteed to win every time you play. Taking risks and being willing to fall on your face, more than once, is simply part of the process.

The last time I was in Hawaii, I bought a refrigerator magnet that says, “Small waves never made a skilled surfer.” Simply put, wipeouts are part of the process of honing your creative skills. Every “mistake” is a stepping stone in the process of self-improvement.

So, please, go get messy. Don’t be afraid of a few wipe outs. I can’t wait to see what you will create. The best things are yet to come. And, they only happen when we are willing to get messy.

Thanks for reading,