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Someone suggested that my recent viral LinkedIn post was just engagement farming.
Fair enough.
Let me explain.
Here’s the truth:
I don’t write for others.
I don’t write to engage.
I don’t write to get famous.
I don’t even write out of habit.
I write to scratch an itch.
To feed an addiction.
I call myself a diarist.
For 20 years, I’ve been recording, ranting, and reflecting on everything around me.
1,200+ original articles.
On kedar.gadgil.com.
Topics?
Commentary on the news.
Opinions on relationships.
Stories of fatherhood.
Dating adventures.
Motorcycling journeys.
Political rants.
Business advice.
Movie and restaurant reviews.
I’ve written it all.
Readership?
A small group of friends.
Out of politeness.
Or pity. Can’t say. Won’t ask.
Income?
A little.
Not enough to live on.
Certainly not enough to call it a livelihood.
Though it keeps trickling in.
So, no.
I don’t write to farm engagement.
Normally.
But LinkedIn is different.
LinkedIn is professional networking.
It’s about connections.
People.
Opportunities.
Value creation.
Wealth.
And income.
But it has a billion members.
How do I stand out?
How do I find people who like me?
Why do I want people to like me at all?
Because:
People buy from people they like.
To find these people, LinkedIn gives us tools.
Writing.
Commenting.
Sharing.
Advertising.
For me, writing works.
The better I write, the more I connect.
The more people see me.
Identify with me.
Want to buy from me.
And the best writing?
It comes from authenticity.
From writing about things I genuinely believe in.
That’s why authenticity matters.
It’s the foundation of all good writing.
At least on social media.
So, I write what I deeply believe.
About things that happen to or around me.
And I hope it resonates with others like me.
People I’d want to work with.
People who’d want to work with me.
Oftentimes, it disappears in the ether.
Without a ripple. Gone.
Sometimes, it works.
Makes a splash.
And I make new friends.
With a potential to do business.
On a professional networking site.
Now tell me.
Where is the problem?
