The Insatiable Solopreneur™

Succeeding and Surviving as a Solopreneur

Archive for the category “Social Media”

10 Apr 2013
2 Comments

Why Small Biz Owners Need to Make It Personal

Using social media to market a business requires a lot of time (no news flash there!) – particularly if you’re serious about Social Media Interactionmaking your efforts pay off. And it’s no secret that small business owners struggle with maintaining the consistency needed to really do social media well, so some delegate or outsource their posting and engagement to some degree.

While there’s no shame in getting a little help with your social media, it’s important that you, as the business owner, never ever divest yourself completely of being engaged. Even with someone managing your accounts, you personally need to stay in tune with what’s happening on your pages – and make it known that you are personally interested in interacting with others in your online business community.

So how do you show some love to other entrepreneurs and customers so you’re generating a steady supply of goodwill and stay in good standing?

Make sure that you – via your personal social media accounts – follow, like, circle, pin and connect with the same organizations and businesses your business social media accounts are connected with. And then follow through and interact with them as your own personal self.

And that’s important why?

You’re an ambassador for your brand.
As a small business owner, most people probably recognize you as the lead spokesperson for your brand. When you generate goodwill by interacting with other businesses, you’re projecting that goodwill on your brand as well.

You won’t overload your brands’ followers’ and fans’ news feeds with likes and comments on posts that may not be interesting to them.
This is particularly true with Facebook! I’ve already unliked Facebook business pages because they littered my news feed with that stuff. Friends of your personal Facebook profile, however, will likely have a higher tolerance for seeing your likes and comments. After all, most of their other friends are liking and commenting on posts in abundance as well.

Your personal endorsement means something.
Because businesses recognize that not all business owners are doing their own social media posting, a like, +1, or comment directly from you is more easily identified as genuine and real. The fact that you, the small business owner, took the time to personally interact demonstrates that you care. And that can facilitate stronger relationships online and offline.

Certainly, it does require some time to take inventory of the key companies and organizations your business accounts are connected with on your social media channels, but after some initial effort to align your personal accounts with them, keeping on top of it won’t be quite so bad. If you’re strapped for time – as so many small business owners are – identifying those connections is something that can very easily be delegated or outsourced. But from there, you’ll need to let your own personal sense of social savvy be your guide. There’s no satisfactory substitute for you and your voice when it comes reinforcing your personal commitment to building relationships for your small business in the professional community.

Your turn? What brand benefits have you discovered by connecting personally with other business on social media?

Image courtesy of AdamR / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in Facebook, Marketing, Outsourcing, Social Media and tagged , , , ,
05 Feb 2013

9 Ways Solopreneurs & Small Biz Owners Can Juice Up Their Marketing with Twitter’s Vine App

I really want it, but I can’t have it yet. – says this Android mobile user with dismay. But if you’ve got an iOS device (e.g.

As an Android user, I need to wait to harness the marketing potential of Vine.

As an Android user, I need to wait to harness the marketing potential of Vine.

iPad, iPhone), you can – and if I were you, I’d start experimenting with Vine.

What is Vine?
To bring you up to speed if you haven’t read about it yet, Vine is Twitter’s new app that gives you the capability to make short and sweet 6-second video clips (or shorter clips strung together to create a 6-second video) and share them via the Vine app, Twitter and – with some additional effort – Google Plus. (Note that in theory it should work with Facebook, but users have been experiencing some issues. No doubt they will resolved before too long.)

Though I don’t have access to it yet, it’s captured my attention because I believe it offers solopreneurs and small business owners a way to really spice up their marketing efforts. As you face the pressure to consistently create relevant content to engage – and keep the interest – of your audience, Vine offers a way to quickly generate short unedited blips of content and share them. From what I’ve read, Vine has some – what I’ll call – “technical bugaboos,” but surely those will be worked out and it will only get better.

How might you use Vine to add some pizazz to your marketing? Check out these ideas…

  • Share breaking news about your biz.
  • Show off new product packaging.
  • Announce a new client (with their OK first, of course!).
  • Announce a new project.
  • Demonstrate your [tasteful] sense of humor.
  • Generate buzz about an upcoming event.
  • Give quick tips to your audience.
  • Give a shout out to another professional or a business.
  • Make a call to action for folks to visit your blog or website.

What I’m excited most about is the down-and-dirty opportunity to mix things up. If you’ve primarily generated text content for your business and steered clear from doing video because you found it cumbersome, Vine provides a fast and easy way to do it.

Keep in mind that Vine videos are brief – the 6-second window doesn’t allow for anything very substantive – so depending on what you share, you might need to follow up with additional details via a blog post, newsletter, etc.

Want to learn more about Vine? Here are some helpful posts from various sources…

Vine for Twitter, and what it means for you on Android by Phil Nickinson via AdroidCentral – A rundown of some quirks you might encounter with Vine.

How to Share Vine Videos to Google Plus by Mark Traphagen via Virante Orange Juice – A handy step-by-step for uploading your Vine videos to Google+.

Watch as Vine becomes the next great news-gathering tool by Daniel Terdiman via CNET.

Why Vine’s Going to Grow Into Something Huge by Mat Honan via Wired Gadget Lab.

Have you tried Vine yet? I’d love to hear about your experience! What ways are you using it to enhance your marketing efforts?

Posted in Business Technology Tools, Marketing, Twitter, Vine and tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment
01 Feb 2013

Twitter Quick Tip: Set Up a “VIP List” to Manage Your Feed & Build Your Business

Twitter has become one of my all-time favorite platforms for finding and sharing content, networking, and building Top 10 Buttonprofessional relationships. As my Twitter network grows, however, so does the challenge of keeping up with what many of my key connections are tweeting.

I know I’m not alone. As you follow more and more people on Twitter, the quantity of tweets in your home feed balloons exponentially. And that means tweets by “VIPs,” the individuals and companies who you want to proactively nurture relationships with, often  get lost in the shuffle.

Even if you have a variety of Twitter lists set up according to industry, business focus or geography to organize tweets in your feed, it might not be enough. In my case, it hasn’t been enough! So, I’ve created a new list specifically for a handful of people and businesses who I want to keep better tabs on. By putting them on my “VIP List,” their tweets are far easier to find and react to.

Worried that having a VIP List will seem exclusive? Don’t! Just because you don’t put someone on your VIP List doesn’t mean that they aren’t important! Every connection is valuable, but it’s natural that some are more professionally advantageous than others.

Tips for your VIP List:

  • Make the list “Private” – That way no one will know who is – and who is not – on it.
  • Add individuals and businesses who aren’t frequent tweeters – Reserve your VIP List for people who DON’T show up in your feed regularly. If you’re already catching their tweets, there’s no reason to include them. This list should be for users who either don’t tweet enough to stay on your Twitter radar, or who seem to cluster their tweets at a time that you generally aren’t perusing your stream.
  • Consider including…Prospects, clients, vendors, loyal supporters, sources of referrals.
  • Keep it short – You’ll want to keep your ability to review the feed for this list ultra-manageable. Keep it lean. I recommend 30 or fewer users, but you’ll need to gauge what works for you. And keep in mind that you’ll probably alter your list over time as your professional relationships and priorities evolve.
  • If you use Hootsuite, set up your VIP List as a stream in your dashboard. – That way it will be accessible where you’re most likely to view and use it most effectively.

I don’t recall who blogged about it, but months and months past, I recall someone saying something like, “I follow everyone, and therefore I’m finding that I follow no one.”

How true that is when you’ve got a Twitter feed that flows fast and furiously with tweets by hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands of users. My hope is that a VIP List will help you set a less overwhelming pace and enable you to more easily follow – really follow – the people and companies that matter most to your business.

What’s your biggest challenge in keeping tabs on key people and companies on Twitter? How do you keep your feed manageable?

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in Social Media, Twitter and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
11 Dec 2012
2 Comments

Is Too Much of a Good Thing Turning Off Your Facebook Page Fans?

Like so many Facebook page owner/admins, I have experienced the benefits of actively engaging with other pages. It Cautionbuilds goodwill, it incites reciprocity, it generates awareness. But with the way Facebook news feeds work these days, there really is such a thing as too much of a good thing. While your engagement might be appreciated by the pages you’re proactively interacting with, it might also be annoying to your fans.

How can it be that engagement – the not-so-secret recipe for creating a formidable online presence – might bite us in our social media derrières? While most of us think Facebook overly throttles the status updates, links and photos that we post, it seems to more than generously display our liking, sharing and commenting activities. Are our fans more interested in our engagement with other pages than what we post on our own? My guess is “no,” but they’re seeing a good bit of it regardless.

Easy does it!

So be judicious when liking, sharing and commenting. Don’t do it all in one fell swoop at a single point during the day because your fans’ news feeds will be inundated with posts showing (seemingly) everything that you liked, shared and commented on. Honestly, I’ve unliked other pages when my news feed was disproportionately filled with posts showing that they liked this or commented on that. And, before I caught on to the fact that I might be subjecting my own fans to the same bombardment, I’m sure I lost a fan (maybe 2) for the very same reason. Engage, but pace yourself, so your interactions are more evenly spread out rather than condensed into a short time span.

Don’t cause hard feelings.

Also be aware that the admins of the pages that follow you will see which pages you’re showing the most love to. And if it’s not them, well, they might feel a bit dejected. Naturally, you’ll have some favorites (either because they’re your clients, raving fans, or prospects), but try to more evenly distribute your engagement to avoid appearing overly selective.

Make it meaningful

Make it count when engaging with other pages. Don’t like, comment or share without putting any thought into it. Aim to engage only when posts are truly interesting, informative, entertaining or otherwise give you a reason to interact with them. That will help you keep the quantity of your interactions in check so you’re not overpowering your fans’ news feeds. Plus, it will demonstrate that you have intent when you interact…that it’s not done solely for the sake of throwing someone a bone.

Proactively engaging on Facebook really is a great thing. It’s just that – for now – it might be in your best interest to tone things down instead of going full throttle.

Your turn? How have you modified your engagement with Facebook pages since likes, comments and shares are prominently displayed in your fans’ news feeds?

Image courtesy of mrpruen / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in Facebook, Marketing, Social Media and tagged , ,
13 Nov 2012
2 Comments

The Perks of Crossing the Facebook “Friend” Line with Clients

As a solopreneur and professional services provider, you are your brand – so your clients can’t help but think of you andAdd as Friend your company as one. As clients get to know you and feel more comfortable with you, you can expect to get occasional friend requests from them on Facebook. Though some might “friend” you to dig into your background, I believe most simply and genuinely seek to reach a new level of camaraderie with you because they sincerely like you.

Certainly, some cons go with the pros of crossing the Facebook friend line, but there are some very real benefits to making your clients your friends. By accepting their friend requests and letting them into your personal Facebook world, you can:

  • Strengthen your bond – Having a means to communicate and interact on a more personal level can lead to  stronger emotional connections between you and your clients. They see you with your family…your friends…your pets. They get to know you more deeply and will feel more vested in you professionally as a result.
  • Impress – By seeing all that you’re involved with outside of your business, clients will get a feel for your sense of – and contributions to – your community. Demonstrating your commitment to improving the world around you can be a wonderful way to showcase your good works and give clients the peace of mind that they’re doing business with someone who cares about others.
  • Entertain – Assuming you’re a bit more casual in tone and in the topics you present on your personal Facebook account than you are on your professional social networks, your less-businessy, fun side will shine through. Your clients will relish getting a glimpse of your sense of humor and quick wit. And they’ll feel more at one with you having experienced your lighter side.

But before you get stoked about the perks potential from friending your clients, objectively evaluate whether your activity on your personal Facebook account will generate a positive or negative response. If you believe (or someone has told you) that your content is borderline offensive or inappropriate, friending clients might not be a good move for you professionally.

Also, set a policy for how you’ll handle Facebook friend requests from clients – and be consistent with it. Treat all clients who seek to cross the line the same. Assuming you value your professional relationships with all of them, don’t pick, choose, and alienate individual clients while letting others into your personal circles. That could hurt not only feelings, but also your business.

What’s your rule on having clients as Facebook friends? Have you ever ignored a client’s Facebook friend request?

Image courtesy of “Master isolated images” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in Facebook, Networking, Social Media and tagged , , ,
31 Oct 2012

LinkedIn Tip for Solopreneurs: Go Light on your “Skills & Expertise”

More isn’t always better – especially when posting your “Skills & Expertise” on LinkedIn.Scale

LinkedIn recently introduced a “Skills & Expertise” feature to enable us to enhance our profiles by adding single words or phrases that represent our specific talents, organizational and interpersonal skills, software aptitude, sales and marketing prowess, technical abilities, industry knowledge, etc. It’s nice in that it adds keywords to your profile to help others find you via the Skills & Expertise page of the LinkedIn site. But resist the urge to splurge!

LinkedIn lets you add up to 50 skills and areas of expertise to your profile. Fantastic, right? Great in theory, because it seems logical that the more you have, the more impressive you’ll appear to prospects. Unfortunately, that can backfire as your connections seek to help you by endorsing your specific capabilities.

I discovered quickly, that if you have too many options listed under “Skills & Expertise,” people might very well endorse those that really aren’t what you want front and center on your profile. Not that any particular skills or areas of expertise are bad (unless bank robbery or money-laundering happen to be among them!), but they could pull attention away from the talents that truly matter to prospects. If your connections endorse your “lesser” or “in the past” skills more prolifically than those that are pertinent to your current status as a solopreneur, potential clients might not feel as confident about your ability to meet their needs.

How can you ensure that your top traits get the spotlight?

Keep these things in mind as you set up or review your LinkedIn “Skills & Expertise” list…

  • 50 is overkill. I have 22 on my list and need to whittle it down even further.
    1. Check your own list to see if you duplicated any skills.For example, if you’ve listed “Marketing,” “Marketing Strategy,” “Product Marketing,” and “Marketing Management,” you might eliminate one or two of them so only those that you’d like emphasized on your profile remain.
    2. Remove skills that are implied in other skills.I axed “Microsoft Word” from my list. As a freelance writer, I believe people will correctly assume that I have proficiency in using Word or some equivalent word processing software. If a skill naturally “goes with the territory,” you probably don’t need to list it.
  • LinkedIn prioritizes and puts your skills and areas of expertise with the most endorsements at the top of your list.
    If you have any that you would rather not highlight, remove them so your connections don’t have the option to endorse them.
  • Don’t feel obliged to keep endorsed skills and expertise in your profile.
    Even if others endorsed you on them, pull the plug if they are diluting your professional focus.

Of course, there is the double-edged sword effect of not being found if someone searches on the LinkedIn Skills & Expertise page for a capability that you removed from your profile. However, if you’ve got a comparable skill there instead, users will see it among the list of “Related Skills” provided. And if they’re seriously looking for professionals with your specific abilities, they’ll continue their research to view profiles (yours included) that have the related skill. No guarantees, of course, so the choice is yours! My preference is to work toward a profile that displays a meaningful Skills and Expertise list with appropriate endorsements, rather than bulk load for the sake of search. Your thoughts?

 

Image courtesy of John Kawasa / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in LinkedIn, Social Media and tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment
19 Oct 2012
4 Comments

“If Only Facebook Would…” Rantings and Rational Thought From a Facebook Page Owner

I admit it. I suffer from some degree of “entitlement syndrome” where my business Facebook page is concerned.Like button

“How dare they not share all of my posts with my page fans?”

“How dare they decide what posts are important to me and which are not?”

“How dare they expect me to pay if I want my posts to get more exposure?”

Like a lot of other business page owners that I know, I’m frustrated. Whenever Facebook announces a new change, we see our reach take a nose dive and that leads to a lower level of engagement. It makes me aggravated, particularly because I’m posting the type of content that I know my audience enjoys and that has always lead to healthy interaction and conversation on my page.

It’s not fair. Or is it?

Reality Check
Facebook is free.

OK, not free in terms of time and energy, but free monetarily unless you opt to pay for ads, sponsored stories or to promote posts (that last one is what’s grating on most of us!).

Realistic Expectations
Do I…do you…have the right to complain about a platform that isn’t charging us a nickel to use it for the benefit of our businesses? Yes, it sucks that we’re not getting as much bang for our theoretical buck than before, but we’re still getting that watered-down bang for free. After all, Facebook isn’t a not-for-profit human services organization. It’s a business. As a business, shouldn’t we expect their folks to want to make some money off of their hard work, smarts and sweat?

Psychology
Logically, I think, “Yes.” Still, I find myself illogically feeling cheated. And I think I know why.

It almost seems like Facebook is holding our posts for ransom. If we pay up, they’ll let our fans (who presumably want to engage with us) see our posts again.

As both a fan of other pages and as a page owner, I think the concept of “promoted posts” is ridiculous. As a fan, I want to see what the pages I follow are sharing. That’s why I liked their pages. If pages post far too frequently and clutter my news feed or if they don’t post anything worthwhile, I want to make the decision about whether or not to hide their updates or unlike them. I’d rather Facebook not be the gate-keeper. And as a page owner, I don’t anticipate ever doling out the dough to promote a post.

On the Other Hand
But that’s not to say I would completely deny Facebook its right to monetization. What if Facebook would do like LinkedIn, Evernote, Buffer and Hootsuite do? Give page owners two options: one free, one paid.

We could choose a free “Basic” membership that throttles post reach in the manner it does now, or select a paid “Premium” membership that presents all of our updates in our fans’ news feeds. I would be far more open to paying for a Premium Facebook membership than I am to promoting posts.

As for price point, Facebook could conceivably do quite well if just 5% (1,850,000) of its 37 million pages would pay $4.99 per month for a Premium membership. I’d think an annual take of $110,778,000 is worthy of consideration. And of course they’d still have the ads and sponsored stories revenue rolling in…and they could continue offering the option of promoted posts to Basic page owners.

I’d pay $4.99 per month (Don’t tell Facebook, but I’d pay even more.) to know that I have the capability of delivering consistent content to my fans on my terms and theirs. No more guesswork. The burden of engaging fans and keeping them interested would wholly be on me – not on an algorithm.

Simple. Think it could work?

Time for your thoughts! As a page owner, would you be receptive to a premium membership type of offering if Facebook would extend it to us? 

Image courtesy of [image creator name] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in Facebook, Marketing, Social Media and tagged , , , , ,
09 Oct 2012
7 Comments

Getting the Most from a Fan Page Follow Fest

I was skeptical at first when I commented on Mari Smith’s Facebook Fan Page Friday post last Friday morning.Like button

“Please add your fan page URL or @ tag on this post or on my wall. It’s a great way to discover new fan pages, make new friends, and get new fans.”

I had been down that road before on LinkedIn group discussions, chamber of commerce Facebook pages and other social spaces that encouraged a mass “follow fest” – only to find lack of reciprocal participation. Disheartening most definitely. And those past experiences almost stopped me from making the effort on Mari’s page.

Not sure why I decided to do it anyway, but I’m so very glad I did for my Facebook page and two others that I assist with.

The results in fan growth:

  • My page – a 12% increase
  • Client A’s page – a 38% increase
  • Client B’s page – a 22% increase

Why such favorable outcomes when past efforts didn’t provide this level of return? Well, I think a lot of it has to do with the mind set of Mari Smith’s community of fans. She has built a following that believes in reciprocating – and knows the value in it!

Of course, it’s true that number of fans doesn’t always equate to quality engagement and conversions, but I believe this Fan Page Friday exercise was absolutely the right thing to do and well worth the time and energy expended for these reasons:

  • My two clients’ pages were just ramping up and had few followers. They needed a “shot in the arm” to build their numbers so their posts are more likely to get some air time and interaction. Maybe not all the new likes are in their target markets, but fan count and engagement definitely adds appeal and builds momentum. It certainly won’t hurt their pages to have a higher fan count – and judging from what I’ve seen so far from the new likes that came from Mari’s community, my clients’ pages will experience more ongoing likes, comments and shares on their posts.
  • In my case, virtually all businesses are either potential clients or sources of referrals.

I’m not sure how often Mari offers the opportunity to promote your business on her page, but I highly recommend that you “Like” her page and keep your eyes open for the next time she does. When the door opens again, keep these things in mind as you embrace the chance to expand your reach:

  • Over a thousand people commented on Mari’s posts that day – she actually did two identical posts, probably to keep the comment stream more manageable. Therefore it’s quite impossible to show love to every worthy page who participated. Take about a half hour to scan the thread to find and like business Facebook pages that fit one of these scenarios:
    • They might be potential clients.
    • They might be a good source of referrals.
    • They offer services that are complementary to yours.
    • They’re local.
    • You find them interesting.
  • If you manage more than one Facebook page, don’t undertake this exercise for more than two pages at a time. I had to step lively to keep up with three, and I’m so very happy I didn’t participate with all the pages I administrate. Just two would have been ideal.
  • When liking a page, do so when logged in as your Facebook page and also as your own personal self. Here’s why…
    • Business pages’ fan counts don’t increase when other business pages like them – only when unique people do.
    • You want to gain exposure for your business page, so make it easy for other page owners to discover and like your page in return. Logging in as your page to like them and when commenting on their posts makes your page known to them and their followers.
  • Write a note on the pages’ timelines that you’ve just followed to make them aware of your like and to introduce yourself, your business and the type of content you share regularly. With likes coming in left and right during an event like Mari Smith’s, it’s challenging to keep up with new followers. Your introduction will ensure you don’t get lost in the shuffle.
  • Reciprocate! Make the effort to like the pages that have proactively followed your page, and reply to comments that they made on your timeline. Getting off on the right foot by building goodwill will lay the foundation for continued interaction.

The incremental value gleaned from the several hours I had spent liking, reciprocating likes, and posting introductions and gratitude remains to be seen, but I’m encouraged. For me, it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time…for you, my hope is that you’ll put your senses on alert to purposely take advantage of the next opportunity to grow your network when Mari gives the green light!

Your turn! What success – or lack of – have you had with Facebook page fan posts that facilitate page likes? What growth have you experienced in fan counts and ongoing engagements?

Image courtesy of [image creator name] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in Facebook, Marketing, Social Media and tagged , , , , , ,
28 Sep 2012

Are You on the Right Track with your Social Media Efforts? A 3-Point Checklist

There’s no arguing that the many social media platforms out there have both subtle nuances and in-your-face Checklistdifferences. But regardless of which ones you’ve tapped into for your small business, there are attitudes and approaches that are universally helpful in moving your brand forward.

Fail to embrace these practices as a solopreneur, and you could find yourself spinning your wheels…

  • Be about “them” not you

In spite of the multitude of articles and posts that have preached about NOT using social media as a one-way advertising tool, many small brands continue to push their sales messages to their audiences. That’s OK now and then, but people will tune you out if that’s all you do. Nobody likes a “Me, me, me” kind of person…and they don’t appreciate that in a business either! Instead, focus on providing info that will help, inform or entertain your followers. Tips on this or that, hot news that’s relevant to your industry and your clients, local events, etc. Give them something of value and interest, and they’ll keep coming back.

  • Respond

Ever leave a well-thought comment on someone’s blog post or a question on a Facebook page, only to be ignored? It sucks. If someone takes the time to read your post and even more time to provide input and feedback, the least you should do is acknowledge that you received it – and that you appreciate it. Yes, I know, you’re busy and it can be a challenge to keep up. If finding time to check for commentary is a problem, adjust your account settings so you receive notification of interactions via either email or your mobile device. Not only is it good manners to respond, it’s also important for projecting that you care. I know you do!

  • Reciprocate

When you’ve got fellow business fans, followers, G plussers, connections or pinners who regularly like, share, and comment on your posts, return the favor. Social media gives us a wonderful opportunity to generate good will in that way – and that can be exceptional for business. By simply reciprocating on a consistent basis, I’ve garnered new project opportunities and gained referrals. That said, be genuine and put some thought into it. Select to acknowledge and pass along content that you truly do find interesting or informative.

Social media is absolutely a two-way street, so don’t miss the mark by ignoring these ever-important ways to move your online presence in the right direction.

What do you think? Are there any other best practices that apply across all social media platforms? 

Image courtesy of [image creator name] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in Social Media and tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment
06 Sep 2012
5 Comments

Blurred Lines: Your Professional and Personal Social Media Personas Are One

Fact: The lines are blurred between “professional” and “personal” personas on social media.Blurred personal and professional lines

Is that a positive thing? Is it negative? Quite honestly, I think it’s a little bit – or maybe a lot – of both.

Like it or not, you are your brand on social media. Whether you’re a small business owner, a professional working for someone else or someone looking for a job, what you post on your personal social media accounts will, without a doubt, color how others see you professionally as well.

So what? Do you:

  1. …walk on eggshells and only post plain vanilla content and commentary so you never ruffle any feathers?
  2. …take a “devil may care” attitude, speak what’s on your mind, and say “to hell” with anyone who doesn’t like it?

Really, that’s up to you. But be aware that choice “b” will probably have consequences. Assuming that not all of your business colleagues, clients, bosses and potential employers hold the same position on issues like politics, religion (or lack thereof), gay rights, and other potentially volatile topics, you’re likely to either piss off or completely alienate people.  And that could hurt your business, ax your chances of a promotion, or put you out of the running for a new job.

I’ve focused on the extremes here, but I believe there are also ways to respectfully share your positions on certain topics and beliefs without appearing confrontational and exclusive. Your approach means EVERYTHING when addressing sensitive topics. If you invite civilized discussion and respond without attacking those who respectfully disagree, you stand a better chance of maintaining good will and keeping relationships intact.

Your turn to share! How do you manage the lack of divide between your personal and professional social media personas?

Posted in Branding, Social Media and tagged , , ,

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