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How do you create a community and how do you keep it going? This isn’t just for content creators. Anyone in college or at school can use what Lizanne has to say to build their own relationships, friendships, and connections.
How Lizanne and I Met
Four years ago, Lizanne and I met at a local blogging event in Minneapolis. I have no clue how I was invited, I had like 300 followers. But I saw Lizanne from across the room and I went over to her and commented that I loved her earrings. We talked, connected on social media, sparks flew, and we’ve been friends ever since. Our friendship grew online while Lizanne was also building her community.
Mental Health and Social Media
When you’re comparing yourself to other content creators, it’s really freaking hard. You can be frustrated and compare and not even realize it. Mindlessly scrolling and seeing people do fun things that you don’t have the means to do can be challenging. It can be challenging, but sometimes you just need to put the phone down.
If you’re finding that something is stealing your joy, call someone and talk to them. People focus on being positive 100% of the time, but that’s not realistic. It’s human to have emotions. Even offline, it’s okay to be jealous of someone. Someone will always be prettier, smarter, better than you. But it’s human to recognize it and sit with those emotions.
We can all be jealous at times, but we’re human.
Keep in mind that the people you look up to most on social media are showing you their highlight reel.
— Lizanne Dooner
Building a Community
Everyone is somehow connected to the grid. If you’re not on social media, you still can text people. Nurture the relationships that you already have because when people trust you they want to connect with you more.
It can be scary to begin expanding your network or restarting when you’re new to town. But the biggest thing is going to events and going with an open mind. Seek out people and experiences and try to find those who are likeminded. Even if you just meet one person, that’s a success.
If you’re introverted and this idea absolutely terrifies you, you’re not alone. Lizanne says to find a wing woman, someone that can be there for moral support. If you can’t find someone, it’s okay to seek out the most uncomfortable person in the room. Find commonalities with people. You’re not there to find your new best friend, just go to find someone to be a friend to.
Ask someone for their social media and connect with them. But also know it’s okay to unfollow people later on if things change.
Expanding Your Community
You’ve met some amazing people and you have a foundation, but now that you want to expand… what do you do? Lizanne says be dependable first. Be the first person people can recommend because someone else trusts you. The power of social media and sharing other people is important. Seeking people out can also expand your community of people.
It’s okay to search for people online and start to engage (in a non-creepy way!) with someone. You can start by liking and commenting on other people’s things.
This translates offline, too. You may not be able to find someone IRL via a hashtag, but if you’re a good friend people will speak to that. Lizanne is a content creator and has a virtual community, but she’s an even better friend offline. Being genuine reads both on and offline. People are more important than the number of likes. Start by asking how you can serve others. How can you be a better friend?
Building trust within your community starts with you. You are a real person and so are the people around you. It’s okay to be human and be vulnerable. But also know you have to set boundaries. Your mental health is going to tank if you let everyone else influences you. The people that care about you (hi, your community!) is going to want call BS on you and then walk away because they don’t feel like you’re genuine. Even if you think about college… if you change everything about yourself, are your friends you’ve made going to stick around in the long run? Heck no.
About Lizanne
Lizanne Dooner is a small-town Minnesota girl living in the city. She enjoys adventuring throughout Minnesota with a latte in hand. She’s here to be your local scout and share all of her finds with you! She’s always shopping and supporting local, so if you ever need some ideas– she’s your gal! Her goal is to inspire people to explore more and create an inclusive community for adventure seekers out there. Follow along with her adventures and see what she’s been up to lately on her blog Lizanne Lately!
Find Lizanne on: Instagram, Facebook, Blogging
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