That's my kid...
...running like a wild child through an open field. A long time ago, I was hired to shoot this study and I used my kids as my subjects ... as freelance photographers the world over have been known to do. So I worked hard on it and delivered a really great series, if I do say so myself. The great series is not what I'm here to talk about today. Today, I'm here to talk about the throw away shots.
You see, this shot was never delivered to the client. It was never shared on social media. There was no proud mom post of "that's my gorgeous little dreamer". It didn't even get exported till today ... and I only came across it while looking for something else. You know why? It wasn't perfect. I felt my vision was shackled by my skills and my gear at the time, so I didn't value it. Six years later, I'm kicking myself because that's my baby running through a field with open abandon. I see her energy and her vivacity. I remember her daddy saying, "ugh! I love that gorgeous wild hair." And I feel my complete adoration for her. All of those imperfect things creating something spectacularly perfect. The story of my girl. And I completely missed it.
So today, when you're thinking about your personal branding or your corporate branding or your social media engagement (see what I did there for the SEO??), stop thinking about the perfection. Life isn't perfect. So stories can't be perfect. You can't tell great stories if all you tell are the good and perfect bits. It's OK if you have to tell your followers that you got it wrong ... or that their order hasn't arrived yet ... or that you've changed your mind about the direction you're going. It's OK. If they're really there for you, they'll stick with you. If they don't stick with you, then they're not there for you and your engagement with them was inauthentic anyway.
And here's the bottom bottom line.
There is no formula ever that replaces authentic, genuine interactions with your clients, your followers, your fans... If you don't believe me, I can point you to some social media "managers" who charge a crap ton of money and are doing a terrible job generating engagement for their clients and I can show you a cell phone in the hands of 3 on-site employees/clients. I have had to work with both sides of that coin. I can teach those employees how to reflect the messaging and voice of the company. Nobody gets it like they do anyway. They've bought in!
Authenticity beats perfection every time.
Trust me.
