Stop Chasing Numbers

STOP CHASING NUMBERSby edie melson

WWW.EDIEMELSON.COM

ON THE SURFACE, SOCIAL

MEDIA APPEARS to be all about amassing numbers, increasing reach and generating sales. Everywhere we look, we’re being told how to get more hits on our blogs, generate new followers and strengthen our web presence. After all, the higher our numbers, the more valuable we are. Right?

The truth is, that couldn’t be more of a perversion of the truth.

I’m not doing this writing thing to win some numbers race. I write because I want to be used by God to reach people, to help them and have a positive impact on the world around me.

If all I’m looking for is higher numbers, I’ve missed the point. I’ve set a course that follows certain frustration and ultimate failure. So if it’s not for the numbers, then what’s the point? Why even bother with social media?

The point is what the numbers represent.

The point is the individuals who can be impacted by what I write, challenged by what I say, and changed by what I share.

When I get caught up chasing the numbers, the significance of what I’m doing diminishes. But when I step away from the race and concentrate on Who I’m writing for and the individuals I’m writing to, things fall back into place.

I’m first and foremost a writer. Social media is a tool, a means to an end. It helps me find my audience. But when I begin to measure my worth as a writer through the numbers, I’ve gotten off course.

My worth is not determined by my numbers.

For me, the blog posts and social media updates that mean the most are rarely the ones that generate the highest numbers. The ones that mean the most are those that help someone. Fulfillment comes from writing things that connect with individuals who are hurting or help those who are frustrated finally see God in the equation. It’s when I pen those words that I feel true satisfaction in my calling.

As twenty-first century wordsmiths, social media is an important part of our toolbox, but it’s not our focus. It’s so easy to get caught up in the race to the highest numbers and forget why we’re doing it.

This media driven world ebbs and flows. One second, we’re on top; the next, we’re at the bottom of the pile. When we measure our worth through charts and graphs generated by numbers, we’re certain to fail. But when we look at the lives that are impacted by our words, success is guaranteed.