Evaluation Series V: SOCIAL MEDIA

Good day friends! In the previous part of this series, we proceeded further in our Journey of Evaluations by evaluating our results. I’m sure that with all we’ve discussed so far in these series, 2020 will produce better results.

In this final part, we shall consider the need to evaluate our SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENTS.
I hope we’ve not forgotten John Wooden’s words: “Without self-evaluation, failure is inevitable”. I’ll try my best not to shake tables here. Can we take these FIVE “what” QUESTIONS as they guide our evaluation?

1. What contents are you consuming?

My greatest fear for this social media age is that there are seemingly inexhaustible amount of junks that pollute one’s mind and soul, and they are even available for free. We can pretend to be all nice and cool, but wisdom teaches that we should assess the quality of contents we consume. In November, I had to block one of my former students off WhatsApp because he was consistently posting pornographic contents. I have muted more than 500 people on WhatsApp status so that I can intentionally select the ones I want to view. What do you consume, friends?

2. What contents are you producing?

This flip side of the first question is equally important. What are you telling the world through your social media accounts? Are you helping others or degrading them. What reputation are you building for yourself? For example, virtually everyone on my WhatsApp list knows that I like to talk leadership and I can be very loud against wrong teachings by pastors.

You won't see me open my space for political engagements (give that to my friends Mike Amure and Stephen Falope). I won't shake tables on relationship or theological matters as my brother Anthony does. I don't talk Christian ministry for young ministers like Peter Jerry does. These are fantastic issues to discuss but I am not cut out for them, really - especially when it comes to igniting such discourses on my space. I can engage others on their space though.

You won't see trend #BBNaija, #Game OfThrones, #NaijaVsGhana, #NairaMarley, etc. on Twitter. That's not to adorn myself in the Pharisee-ic garbs of self-righteousness, but to point out that I am conscious and deliberate about the contents I produce on social media. My children's children will be proud of me whenever they surf through mu social media accounts.

3. What quality of network are you building?

Before I accept friend requests on Facebook, I try to observe the mutual friends I have with the person. If they are not the kind of persons that give me values, I don’t accept such friend requests. From the moment I read Warren Buffet's quote that reads: "Your network determines your net worth", I’ve been intentional about who gets into my network of friends. That’s not to say that I have the highest quality of friends. However, if we can pay good attention to the quality of people who invade our social media space, we will get more advantage of the e-space. 

4. What fraction of your time are you spending?

Yes, this is important. We need to understand that we have a real life outside social media. We need to build strong bonds with people in our lives, beyond social media waves. If you spend one-third of your day on social media, you need to ask yourself what values that translate into your life. This requires brutal honesty. Yeah… 

If your business thrives on social media, how much time do you really invest into the business (digital marketing, customer relations, etc.) without being distracted by online gossips and savage trolls on Nairaland, Twitter, Linda Ikeji, etcetera.

How much time do you intend to put into social media engagements and how much value do you intend to get in return next year?

5. What more are you giving?

What more are you giving to this global community? Just your selfies and gossips? Just the trending hashtags and savages? Smiles… What more are you giving?

This year, I worked with different teams and I was involved in planning at least 7 online conferences. I also had speaking engagements with many social media platforms. I’m intentional about taking advantage of the instrumentality of the internet for global impact. Still, I don’t abandon my life and goals outside social media. This is not a chronicle of my social media engagement, but I feel that someone out there needs to know that we need to give more. 

This year, Pastor Busari used his Facebook wall to organize different charity campaigns to provide hope and relief to different people at different times (he does that consistently, in and out of season). He also organized a Singles' Marriage seminar. Opeyemi Esther Adigun organized Love Summit. Adesola Ayobami Adepoju organized about 5-6 leadership and personal development trainings. Ayooluwa Oluwatosin does online career mentoring for teenagers. Olamide Akinbamire organized Excel conference. Michael Oladele's platform, Spotlight Educare, proffers solution to educational problems among different stakeholders.

Anthony Fawole organized the AfriChurch Conference for all Christians in Africa. Mike Amure and his team organized Surpassing Business eSummit. Enoch Femi Thomas runs Epikhaizo Mentoring Unit. Peter Jerry's School of Purpose adds values to lives. Kolade Ogundare inspires thousands of young Africans through his KoladeInspires Telegram platform and website. Banire Olamilekan Saleem runs the Daily Achievement of the Youth Foundation WhatsApp platform. Olumide Soremekun inspires young minds through Moments With Olumide. Florence Amure runs Happy Home Foundation and organized various online seminars for singles and married.

Simi Adewoyin launched the online Campaign Against Body Shaming. Matthew Emiola is running the affairs of Transformation Mandate International on WhatsApp. Oyeyemi Olalekan is doing a fantastic job at Courtship and Marriage Therapy Platform. Oluwole Oyewole sends daily inspirational write-ups via WhatsApp. Radiant Pheobe Taiwo is empowering ladies  in Deborah's Lineage Network. Esther Olowookere is raising godly women in Raising Deborah's Group. I can go on and on.

Friends, in 2020, get involved in quality online programmes and campaigns. Learn, bond, share. That’s a good way to use your social media time.

This is how we end the year here at TheAsegunProject.

Victor Fawole is the Director and Thought Leader at TheAsegunProject. You can reach him via theasegunproject@gmail.com or +2348131048604