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General, Social Media 101, Social Media for Small Business, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Strategy

The Price of Poor Social Media Choices on Your Personal and Business Pages

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poor social media choices, social media mistakes

Melissa Byers

Sep 26 2017

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve literally said out loud, “I’m so glad social media wasn’t around when I was a teen.” It’s not because I was a particularly ill-behaved child. It’s more like I was…well…a young adult. By nature, they’re immature, not terribly conscientious creatures which the world of social media eats up. What we’re learning in some highly publicized recent stories about their (mis)use of social media is a good lesson for us all.

There’s a huge price for poor social media choices, both personally and for your business

The headlines aren’t uncommon. “Harvard Rescinds Admission of 10 Students Over Facebook Messages” was one that stung. Imagine being accepted into Harvard University then having that admission status ripped out of your hands because you posted something stupid on Facebook. Ouch!

We live online. Anyone who wants to know anything about us (or our business) will fire up Google faster than an you can say “selfie.” What they see is often their first impression, which bears incredible weight in the decision to interact or do business with you. If you want to put your best foot (post?) forward, rely on these tips for your personal and business social media feeds.

3 tips for posting on your personal social media feeds

  1. Be careful of what you post. Just some friendly advice, no one needs to see picture after picture of your weekend social stupors. What your friends see: You’re the life of the party. So fun! What your future employer sees: Maybe this lifestyle isn’t compatible with our worth ethic.
  2. Think twice about what you share. It doesn’t matter if it’s not you in the picture or they aren’t your words, You hitting the share button without any explanatory wording and one can only assume you’re spreading the message. What your friends see: Good one, buddy! What your potential new boss sees: Is this person a character risk to a harmonious workplace environment?
  3. Use those privacy controls. They’re there for a good reason. Decide who should see each post and restrict everyone else. Make lists and use them! What your friends see: Everything you want them to. What your a prospective client sees: Nothing.

3 tips for posting on your business social media feeds:

  1. Have a strategy. It’s so easy to post several times in one day and then go silent for a week because your schedule required that. What those who know you personally see: Wow, she must be busy! What customers see: Inconsistency. Is that how you run your business?
  2. Stay on message. Always, always, always stay on-message when posting on social media. It’s fun to share the personal side of you and your team, but even then make sure it supports your brand. What possible partners see: Strong branding and clear focus. Good job!
  3. Choose your words carefully. There is zero room for impulsive behavior. That means no clapping back at snarky comments, no oversharing about your personal life, and (for most business pages) no polarizing posts. Ask yourself, “Does this support my brand?” If your answer is anything other than an emphatic “yes!” then don’t post it. What everyone sees: Maturity,

For training on creating, executing, and measuring social media strategy for your business, check out our live and online training options.

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