Eyes off the numbers
Eyes off the numbers
...your audience will find you.
We use numbers to measure how well a thing is doing. The higher the engagement on a post, the better, right? We term people authorities in a field based on their experience and influence in the space. Influence these days is measured not only by the quality of your work but its reach. Factually, numbers are crucial.
But today, I want to invite you to take your eyes off the numbers. Now it may sound like a pretentious thing in a world driven by analytics but it’s also for this same reason that we need to avoid pressure and anxiety that can be induced by measurement.
When I started blogging fiction, it was important to me that I had people reading, commenting, sharing and liking because it served as an encouragement that I was being heard. But if you’re familiar with the blogosphere and even the podcast space, you’d realise there are more readers (ghost readers) and listeners (ghost listeners) than people engaging with your post in terms of likes, comments and shares. This can easily discourage you and that’s why it’s important not to get dragged into the pressure that comes with demanding numbers.
I’ve been a place where I felt I wasn’t doing enough because the numbers weren’t reflecting my work. I’m grateful to God that I found the understanding of worth and identity and how it couldn’t and shouldn’t be steeped in metrics.
It is true that our world is quite driven by data and figures, and this can be a huge determinant in one person getting favoured over another. But we should careful not to get carried away by the numbers that we start measuring ourselves against some other person’s decade of hard work or even God’s favour. This usually leads to a slippery phase of anxiety when you’re constantly monitoring your progress in the virtual world and not really enjoying the presence of your real world. It is very damaging to our mindset, relationships and ultimately life.
There are tonnes of content out there and each day, your audience is being lured into a whole new world. That is, there are several content competing for the attention of your audience – including yours. That’s a proper bout for interest. Not forgetting the fact that people are busy and won’t be constantly available to consume your work. So please, go easy on yourself and enjoy what you create.
People will catch up, they always do…most times, at their own pace…when your work is ripe for their heart.