My Thanks to my Supporters & How Social Media Has Helped My Career

This isn’t going to be a complex or massive post. It probably won’t be the most intriguing thing you’ve ever read. But it’s definitely heartfelt, authentic, and 100% true. 

 

Anyone who has successfully marketed or even attempted to market his or herself on the internet will tell you that, with modern technology and social media, a simple “like,” “retweet,” or “share” can go a long way. Just taking the time to support someone’s work by sharing it with your friends and followers can drastically help to improve the creator’s career and online presence, regardless of whether it’s an article, a blog post, a YouTube video, or a piece of digital art. And when I recently started to think about where I was in my writing and media career just a year or two ago compared to where I am today, it dawned on me that I have never taken the time to vocalize my appreciation for those who have helped me along the way. And what better time to do so than just a few days after the Thanksgiving holiday? So to those of you who have supported me by following my various social media networks, sharing my articles and posts, and hitting that little “like” button on some of my content, this one’s for you.

A lot of the money I make from my content, specifically my news articles and op-ed pieces, is viewer driven. That means if you don’t view it, I don’t make any money. When I first started writing for Digital Journal, an online media network, late last year this was one of my biggest concerns. I had no clue how I was going to get my content out there. I knew that the website itself had frequent viewers but that was miniscule based on the level my content needed to reach for me to even justify producing it. I needed my own platform. At that time, the only Facebook page on which I was an admin only had around 60 “likes,” several of which were personal friends or family members. So, needless to say, some of my first articles didn’t get very many views at all and I wasn’t making hardly anything. Now, given, a lot of the work I do is done because I have a genuine passion for the content I’m producing and I want to share certain information with people. But if you’re talking to an empty stadium it's kind of difficult to justify continuing.

Eventually, I found out about a Facebook group called “The Alternative Journalism Coalition.” I requested to join the group and was eventually added by one of the admins. I was shocked by how much this group helped me. I was able to instantly connect with not only low level writers and bloggers like myself but veteran members of alternative and independent media, some of whom had massive networks, websites, and YouTube channels that reached tons of people. And the best part was that I was able to automatically share any content I produced with the members of the group and if someone liked it they could share it in their networks.

As time progressed and I became more active in independent media, I became a more trusted member of the group and was eventually able to admin one of the major “Alternative Journalism” Facebook pages which, at the time reached around 15,000 people but now reaches well over 25,000. Through the group, I was also able to promote my own networks and grow them as well.

Now here I am today. I’m constantly garnering support from people all across the world, my Facebook networks are getting more and more support every day (and Twitter too, at a much slower rate) and I’ve had some of my content picked up by some major news outlets, some nationally syndicated radio programs, and just about every small website you could imagine. As opposed to this time last year when I would have to struggle to get even one person to view any content I produced, I’m now able to write something and instantly get hundreds, if not thousands or tens of thousands of views. No, I’m not making billions of dollars and I’m not at a very stable point in my writing and media career yet. I’m still having to work part time at a print shop just to make some extra cash to live on. But if I continue to get the support I’ve been getting thus far, I’ll be able to have a fully successful independent career in no time. Because, let’s face it. If it wasn’t for you, right now, sitting there reading this post, I would be nothing. And hey, for an eighteen, going on nineteen year old who’s fresh out of High School with no college or other career experience, I’d say I’m doing alright.

So to those of you who have supported me by following my social media networks, viewing and sharing my content, or tuning into my radio show, I love and appreciate you from the bottom of my heart. That goes for my friends and colleagues in the alternative media, my Facebook and Twitter followers, the people who tune in to my radio program every Monday and Friday, and so many others. (And of course I have to thank my creator for giving me the abilities, skills, and opportunities I need to be successful.) You have all made it possible for me to focus on seriously and reasonably pursuing my dreams of an independent career in media, journalism, and writing. And as I say every night when I sign off of my radio program, thanks for listening and God bless.