Michelle Downs
When I was first approached by Brackets for Good, an organization that puts nonprofits into a bracket style tournament to help raise money for their organizations, I was asked to be a social media coach for some of the participating organizations. This opportunity brought two concerns to mind: 1. Would I have enough time to help the nonprofits that are a part of Brackets for Good? And 2. Could I genuinely help these nonprofits succeed?
The concerns I had weren’t put to rest immediately, but I took a chance, met with some great organizations, and was so thankful that I had accepted the coaching position (even with a few doubts going into it).
Here are just a few things I learned being a social media coach:
Connecting is key
Introverted or not, it’s a wonderful thing when you meet people who are doing the same thing as you. Why? Because this gives you opportunities to not only make a new friend or connection, but to brainstorm with them and find new ways to do an even better job with your own work.
Nobody knows everything
Meeting with other people in my industry was such a great thing for me. I realized that everyone needs a little help, and some of the things I do every day, like using IFTTT to post my photos directly to Twitter, was a completely new thing for someone else. Nobody knows every single thing about social media because the industry is constantly changing, sometimes for the best, but sometimes not-so much (I’m looking at you Instagram and your one login at a time policy), and the ability to learn from others is invaluable.
Follow-up
I didn’t get to meet in person with some of the nonprofits that I coached, so I followed up by asking them to meet up for coffee and even inviting them to the quarterly open houses we host at 12 Stars Media long after Brackets for Good had ended. Sure, I could’ve moved on and not thought twice about a follow-up, but I didn’t want to do that. Why? Because I love what all these nonprofits are doing and getting a chance (even outside of coaching) to get to know them and what they do is so encouraging to me.
Get out there
One of the biggest things I learned by being a social media coach was to just get out there and try something new. I am what most people would consider an introvert, so meeting new people and engaging in group activities can be a scary thing, but I knew I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. By putting myself out there as a coach, I was able to grow and have the amazing opportunity to join the NCAA at the Final Four Social Hub to help manage social media accounts for the day (how cool is that?). If I hadn’t stepped outside of my comfort zone, I wouldn’t have met some awesome people or had such a great experience.
All in all I loved being a social media coach and I learned so much and met some really cool people. This whole experience shows that stepping outside of your comfort zone can help you grow personally and professionally. So, get out there, connect, and have fun!
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