You Can’t Fake it ‘Til You Make it With Social Media
My mother always told me (even as recently as last week), that if you lie, eventually you will get caught and if you lie often, you will start forgetting what you have said. I believed her when I was little and I believe her now.
"How to trick people into thinking you’re good looking" is a humorous video that illustrates how people can totally change what they really look like and pretend to be somebody that they are not. WARNING: video is for mature audiences only!
My mother's advice can be applied to both personal and professional situations. With the increasing empowerment and sophistication of technology and by leveraging social media marketing, companies are compelled to stay true to their word and their brand promise. If they don’t, the world will hear about it. Many celebrities recently have seen how quickly news spreads when their secrets or indiscretions are revealed. With social media, it is possible to create the illusion that you know what you are talking about and have the experience and expertise to back it up; however, you can’t get away with that forever. Eventually, people will catch on to you.
Social Media has completely changed the landscape in the world of business. It is imperative for business owners and everyone else in a company to understand the impact of these new communications technologies. If they don’t, and they are not completely honest about who they are or what their service offerings are, as soon as one person uncovers the truth, the negative publicity will spread like wild fire thanks to the power of the internet and social media.
The Internet makes it easy for anyone to portray themselves as anyone they want. The term “expert” is one that has been adopted by many yet not everyone is truly an “expert.” If you promote yourself as someone who you are not, rest assured – eventually – your deceit will be discovered.
Recently, it seems as though a large number of people are branding themselves as coaches. Coaching certification is relatively easy to obtain. However, merely by being a certified coach does not necessarily make you qualified and experienced enough to really help other people.
It might not be immediate, but if you are creating a perception, as soon as one person discovers that you are not what you say you are, they will share it with someone else, either online, offline or both. The next person will tell someone else and before you know it, the truth will become common knowledge.
In this age of transparency, don’t pretend to be someone who you are not because the real you will eventually become evident and you will be exposed.
Great Article! Two Thumbs Up!
Interesting perspective. I have a question for you.
I call myself a screenwriter. I spend about 30 hours a week on average writing scripts and doing related work. I spend more time reading scripts and plays and attending seminars to perfect my craft. I don't have an IMDB page, and I haven't made any films you would have heard of. I don't make a living from it yet, but I hope to.
Personally, I would feel it dishonest not to acknowledge the time and effort I put in so far. I once said that I didn't have any work to a friend, but it felt like a lie. I had work, I just wasn't getting paid for it, yet. I was working on spec, hoping to sell what I created.
In your view, would it be more honest to call myself a screenwriter, or to call myself a nothing?
If you are doing and practicing screenwriting, of course you would call yourself a screenwriter. However, if you do not make a living from screenwriting and have not been successful in selling screenplays these facts would likely make a difference to someone purchasing your product or turning to you for consultation. If you make false statements or hide these facts so that people are more apt to listen to you, you are lying.
You might say, "If I help them, what does it matter?" It matters because by concealing the truth you've not given the buyer a chance to decide for himself, or in other words forced the buyer to beware. If you call yourself a screenwriting coach or expert, and have not tutored anyone to a successful outcome or had success with your methods yourself (by success I mean whatever the result you are promising to buyers), the only possible reason you are using these terms would be to imply or convey that you are accomplished and that people should listen to you.
If you put out information worth listening to, you don't need to label yourself as a coach or expert… people will ask for your knowledge, coaching or expertise. Whether you decide to give it to them, or make them pay for it is really up to you. But you are still a screenwriter – that is your title. If over time you have enough proven success I suppose you could put those authoritative sounding words in your own bio or title, but by then your reputation as a screenwriter is likely to have preceded you anyway. And lest you be written off as just another one of those folks of whom buyers must be wary, you probably would stay clear of calling yourself that anyway.