01/03/2026
The Year So Far....
I know, I know it's only just the start of March, but to me it feels much latter in the year than that. I'm sure I'm not the only one feeling like this year has some strong energy.
I have been in deep contemplation around the online space.
I'm getting clear that I am not here to perform for visibility and for someone who has scanned the rooms to make sure that I don't upset any one and want my words to be received rather than rejected (a form of people pleasing as a survival strategy) it has been hard to be in the online space. It is primarily built on performance, getting people to notice you. If you're not being noticed, then you need to change to be noticed and that often means not turning up authentically at your core.
Let's not get me started on all the AI influenced posts that have me questioning whether you're really writing the post. Which disappoints me to no end. I want to hear your authentic voice not that of a million other made to sound like you. I'm seeing this creep in more and more and that just makes me scroll on by, also I want the real photo of you not the AI altered one. These strategies also make me trust you less.
Second to this, most people are aware that the online landscape has changed from a sales perspective and that has been hard for me to watch. Some of the old dodgy strategies being used in a more manipulative way than ever before. Because on some level people know they're dodgy now, so they dress them up as all sorts of things to make them feel okay using them. Hearing people use a lack of trust of the online space because so many people have been burnt by unkept promises as a personal fault boggles my mind. It's up to those that sell online to create an environment that fosters that trust. It's not about whether a person can trust themselves and their decisions when they have been burnt by people making false promises. Buyer's remorse is a real thing, and the sad thing is that we blame the buyer not the seller for that.
What you are selling has to be what you promised. If those crystal photos are taken under special lighting and then the person receiving them get something that looks dull in comparison, don't blame them for not buying off you again, that's on you for setting up a false image. If you promote a 12-month container with certain features and then decide to change your mind, don't get upset at the person who now feels ripped off and disappointed, doesn't want to buy anything else off you. That's on you for not being clear from the get-go that things can change. I have more examples, but you get the idea.
Messaging and image are part of the online landscape that you need to be mindful of as a business owner. Consider what you present online, people are more discerning than ever before, and don't blame them for that. It's up to everyone selling to make the online space a trustworthy environment for people to buy on again.