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(165): Social media and self-promotion: My experience (I)

Social media and self-promotion: My experience

By Muhsin Ibrahim

I had a Facebook account before my current one. Fearing that the new social media (SM) platform was taking too much of my time away from other, more important pursuits, I deleted it. However, I returned. This ‘new’ account is almost 15 years old. To date, Facebook is my most cherished SM space, and some people I met there have impacted my life enormously. How does that happen?

I won’t claim sainthood - I have my sins and mistakes. However, I always try to do better and show my best on SM. Even when I join controversial debates, I avoid insulting anyone. Writing can quickly expose you or land you in trouble; it can also fetch you fortune and fame or loss and infamy. So, please be sure to write carefully.

Naples, 2022

In this age of the virtual world, knowing how to use SM effectively should be a part of our curriculum. For example, we had a recent conversation about self-promotion. I understood that many people can’t self-promote themselves out of humility or other reasons. No, you can be humble and still promote yourself and your abilities offline and online.

For instance, sharing the little I publish in journals, books, blogs, newspapers, etc., attracts the attention of some important people. For example, Prof. Yakubu Magaji Azare gave me translation work back in the day. He likely judged my writing ability from my Facebook posts. He, of course, taught me in the 100 level. However, we were too many. He couldn’t spot my talent, if I had any, then. I plastered parts of my house with his generous payment.

I got that much-talked-about Bloomsbury book chapter published, thanks to Twitter. I met one of the book’s editors, Prof. Kristian Petersen, there. I met Emeritus Distinguished Prof. Kenneth Harrow (whom I posted about yesterday) here. The list continues.

Folks, use social media wisely. It’s a goldmine. Although social media can be a curse, it can also be a blessing to those who utilise it. So, could you review how you use it from today – I mean now?

May Allah bless us all the more, amin.

Comments

  1. Thanks Dr Muhsin Ibrahim!
    I believe always you're trying to doing your best, we're highly appreciated your efforts, thanks again,
    from you peacefully Sa'adu Dalha.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Dr Muhsin Ibrahim!
    I believe always you're trying to doing your best we're highly appreciated your efforts thanks again,
    From your peacefully Sa'adu Dalha

    ReplyDelete

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