Quality over quantity, All day, every day.
Yesterday, I received a DM from a friend/community member who suggested the BlindianProject community should "have over 100k followers and need a social media strategy." While I appreciated the constructive criticism, I wanted to address the notion that one's worth or the worth of one's community is tied to the number of people in one's community. If you've ever found yourself comparing your community to one with a higher following, please DON'T. Instead, remember the actual value of any community lies in the number of quality contacts, not the quantity.
Having quality (engaged) community members in any industry or vertical will always be more beneficial than having disengaged members and bots that make you feel flattered. Our community, The BlindianProject comprises of hundreds of passionate journalists, CEOs, artists/creatives, professionals, and changemakers who are not only interested in the essential work we're doing BUT are also aware of the positive impact we can create together. We're currently working on our second short movie on a shoestring budget tighter than a Classic pair of Van Slip-Ons. Recently, we approached a potential collaborator who agreed to work with us not because of our follower count but because they believed in the idea and saw all the respected people they looked up to in our community.
As Jay-Z once famously said, 'The streets are always watching.' Stay focused and continue providing value to your community. Your good work will be noticed. Although I don't know all 26,978 members of our Instagram community, I do know that there are many reputable brands and individuals who follow our work. Recently, I had a lightbulb moment and decided to reach out to several accounts I had been meaning to engage with. One of these interactions was with a person who'd been following our community since its inception (3-years) who'd always thought about collaborating with us, but just didn't know what shape/form the collaboration would take. The conversation highlighted deep synergies between our work and has the potential of being one of our most culturally impactful campaigns to date. Quality connections with similar goals will always outweigh the facade of a large following.
You never know who is in your community and why they follow you. In our capitalistic societies, it's easy to believe that certain things can only be achieved when our communities reach a specific size. However, it's essential to remember your worth and why you decided to pursue your calling.
P.S. If you're part of our community and we haven't connected, email us at BlindianProject2020@gmail.com to make magic happen in 2024!
We hope that you've enjoyed this content. Do you have any ideas, questions, or comments about our work, or interested in collaborating? Email: BlindianProject2020@gmail.com, and please connect w/ us: Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube |
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