Online or In-Person: A Pandemic Paradox
This morning, I listened to “Your Business & Our New Normal” from The Long and the Short of It podcast. Peter Shepherd and Jen Waldman are absolutely right: The old world is gone. We’re living in a new world.
That said, I wanted to present a present paradox:
“Online and in-person are different.
Online and in-person are the same.
Both are true.”
While practicing physical distancing, we must maintain social connection digitally—thus the increase in phone calls, video calls, texts, emails, and social media.
If you’re NOT physically distancing (and I’m speaking to my audience both in the U.S. and abroad), I think you’re unconsciously contributing to this problem. It’s literally life and death. Take preventative measures for your own health and your fellow humans.
4 Ways to Bring the in-person experience online.
After listening to “Your Business & Our New Normal,” my takeaway is to honor the intention. You might even say… Start With Why. 💗
Since 2013, my work in personal branding and digital strategy has taught me often to present (if not replicate) the in-person experience. Because of this, I wanted to share a few ways to reframe some of the tech and digital side of things to bring a more connected human experience.
Brand = Humanity
Branding is about human connection.
As a personal brand, that means sharing authenticity (such as Oprah’s home videos on Instagram). As a business brand, that means connecting with the humanity and emotions of your audience (such as Starbucks writing your name on your drink).
Be sure to balance you (party of one) and them (each one in the potential party of ~8 billion).
Website = Home
Your website is a place to welcome international visitors 24/7.
It should reflect your personal style (thanks to the work done in branding), but if you take away the tech: think about the guest experience you’d want to offer someone visiting your home.
Be sure to take a look at that experience, especially on a mobile device.
Email = Mail
Make sure that you check your email like you do physical mail. If you let it go, it’s possible you’ll miss important messages.
Sort your email as often as you do physical mail: if not daily, at least a few times a week.
When sending email, put yourself on the receiving end. What would make you open, read, and respond to a message?
Compose accordingly: with empathy and compassion.
Social Media = Telephone
Social media is a tool that can be used positively or negatively.
My goal is for you to use it consciously. As an artists, it’s a great way to share new work (new songs, music videos, or other compositions) and urgent updates en masse (just like the old school phone trees or mass mailings).
As the audience, connect with the people, places, and things that matter to you most. Try to unfollow the rest, but social media’s power is to supplement in-person relationships.
Until we can be together, try and keep healthy relationships and habits in this arena.
