Today's world thrives on social media. Whether you want to admit it or not, platforms like Instagram and Twitter have shaped our culture tremendously. When I started using these media outlets, I created the handle: @theonlyjolena. What began as a joke, telling people that I'm the only Jolena they knew and that they should follow me, became an essential component to my writing career.

Let's be real—we want people to follow our social media accounts. The bigger the number, the better it looks. There's nothing wrong with wanting your page to become popular. Racking in likes and receiving dozens of comments feels great. People usually consider this mentality as harmful. Saying we shouldn't be focused on the numbers of our social media accounts. But, honestly, numbers do matter if you're trying to promote yourself and your work to people.

So branch out and connect with others!

For me, I use Instagram as a way to promote my writing. I upload original poems, advertise my website, and incorporate other articles I publish online with companies. This platform allows me to connect with my friends and share my work with them. It also provides new opportunities to meet other writers and creators. Sometimes, I'll search for other writers with a similar aesthetic to mine, and I'll engage with them on their page. It's a great way to network while having fun.

When people ask me a fun fact about myself, I'll use that opportunity to give myself a shameless plug. Not only do I attract more people onto my page and blog, but I get to talk about my passion. After a while, people will casually bring up my blog, also sharing the same name as my social media handles, or poems without me mentioning it first. It goes to show that people actually do respond and listen to my so-called plugs. You see, the self-promotion isn't meant to boost my own ego, but serves as a gateway to have individuals read my writing.

Social media can be bad, but it doesn't have to be.

Social media has a bad reputation. I do believe that people can become addicted to it and develop an unhealthy relationship with their phone. However, I also believe that social media could be a resourceful tool to many people—especially content creators. The age of the Internet is now, and people should take advantage of what it has to offer. Every day, people take on jobs involving online media that probably didn't exist 10 years ago.

There's nothing wrong with boosting your content. People should be proud of their work and claim it with pride. It doesn't have to be serious or demanding, but light-hearted conversations go a long way with building connections. You never know who will end up viewing your work, so might as well expose it to the entire world. Begin to shamelessly promote your work—be proud and keep climbing to the top!