Contributed by Elizabeth Capistrant
Social media has become such a strong presence in our daily life that it seems impossible to remain current, informed and connected without repeatedly scrolling through multiple platforms daily. Curious about your favorite sports teams? Check at least 2 feeds and numerous sites. Want to read the news? Check a few different feeds. Curious about your friends? Check at least 3 social media sites. Want some quick social engagement? Check another 3 sites. Every single person is scrolling. All the time.
I know that staying connected and engaging are important, especially for a business. However, at a certain point shared information becomes too diffused. Sometimes, information is so altered that it crosses into disinformation. Because social platforms are so widely and frequently used, disinformation has the potential to reach an exceptionally large audience, very quickly. Lately, I wonder if the multiple social platforms that I use for my business are the most effective way to share. Or am I adding to the proliferation of random information available online? Am sharing my years of experience and nutrition expertise in a way that helps people?
As a nutrition professional, I often think about influence and responsibility. In my work, disinformation has very real consequences for people. As a business owner, I acknowledge that social media is a great platform to quickly share “teaser” bits of information and reach a wide audience. It’s a great opportunity for marketing. A conversation is still the best way to share the big picture and an opportunity to discuss all the interesting details. Understanding comes from conversation. Face-to-face is the best way to share a story. As a busy Dietitian, managing a full-time practice, it doesn’t seem right to only give people a small snippet of information.
So, in order to fulfill my goal of professionally helping people become healthier and educate my clients, I have chosen to foster relationships and connection. I look forward to meeting you face-to-face, even if it’s over the computer for right now. Let’s talk, learn, and make changes together.