Freelancers, be careful about the 'gap between reality and online' in your social media presence.

“Internet tough guys” exist, don't they? That is a talent in its own right.

Writing on Note and posting on X are both online activities, but having had the opportunity to meet many people lately, I have some thoughts.

I met many wonderful people at offline gatherings this month as well.

But, you know, I've been thinking about something lately.

Aren't there a lot of people whose online and real-life impressions are different!?

And...

Isn't it better if there isn't a gap between your online presence and your real self!?

If the impression is better when you meet in person, that's fine. If the reality falls short of the online persona, that's dangerous, very dangerous.

At first, I thought my perception might just be buggy, but it turns out that's not the case.

If I had an impression of Person A as 'red' online, they might be 'orange' in person, or even 'light blue'—the impression can be completely different. I think this is because online, there is a magic that allows you to 'become anyone,' and the strength of that magic varies from person to person.

So why do 'freelancers' need to be careful? Because

many people get work through social media.

The clients are companies, and it's not just anyone who will do, so of course there are appointments and meetings beforehand, but the first impression is important. And it's generally difficult to work successfully with someone whose account and real self have a large gap. Because the one who actually does the work is the “person behind the account.”

So, if real life > online, that's fine, but if the equation online > real life holds true, I think it's quite difficult.

After all, while you can 'become anyone' online, “posting as your true self” is important, and having no volatility is crucial.

So, what does it mean to 'post as your authentic self'?

It doesn't have to be perfect at all; in fact, it's fine to be a bit scatterbrained or authentic. However, I personally believe that your 'core' should remain consistent.

You don't need to reveal everything, but 'I have these values and I interact with people with this kind of warmth'—that kind of 'vibe' being consistent between online and real life is incredibly important.

For example, it's painful when someone has a 'tough' and 'logical' persona online, but in real life, they are 'timid and can't look people in the eye.'

While 'posting as your authentic self' might look easy, it actually takes a lot of courage, but it is also the right way to manage your presence in the long run.

Ultimately, on any social media platform, there is a 'person' on the other side of the screen.

In an era where we are evaluated by numbers like impressions and follower counts, I don't want to forget to ask, 'Is this actually reaching the "someone" behind those numbers?'

I write this Note and my X posts with the intention of reaching 'you,' and if you, the 'you' who read this, ever meet me in person and think, 'Oh, you're exactly like your writing!', that would make me the happiest.

Conversely, if someone thinks, 'Huh, they seemed so cool online...', then I would consider my branding a failure.

I think I write very much as I am, and people around me often say, 'You're exactly the same as you are online lol,' so there isn't much discrepancy in my content. However, since my account name is 'Baby-faced,' I need to make sure that doesn't come back to haunt me.

If I change my account name, you'll know why 🥹
Baby-faced President (@minam_fp) / X is also updated daily, so please follow me if you'd like 🫶🏻

See you tomorrow!