As the level of participation in social media skyrockets, the lines between “business” and “personal” have become blurred. While this sounds negative and scary, for the most part, it’s a good thing. Market research is showing that consumers enjoy interacting with a brand on a personal level, and often posts of a more personal level (behind-the-scenes pictures, pictures or posts of what the business leader or celebrity is up to that isn’t necessarily stuffy or business-related) tend to resound better with an audience. For example, a post by Martha Stewart plugging one of her new kitchen products might get a few retweets or comments, but a picture of her AKC Champion Chow Chow rolling in the grass might get thousands of likes. Humanizing yourself, even as a business owner, is not a bad thing. There’s nothing wrong with giving people a little peek into the real you while still maintaining a level of professionalism.
As a UFO, YOU ARE YOUR BRAND. You are the face of Market America, and you represent the company to the rest of the world. But this should not prevent you from enjoying yourself on social media sites. Here are a few tips to keep your profile and presence working for you.
1. YOUR PROFILE PICTURE. Your first impression on Twitter, Facebook, Instragram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, 4Square, et al. is your profile picture or avatar. Keeping the default image (the little egg on twitter, for example) makes most people assume you are a SPAM user. And while a formal headshot is nice and shows people you mean business, an informal headshot, taken by your spouse or friend, of you in your element (sailing, reading, cooking, walking your dog—any activity that represents you!) provides an opportunity for people to relate to you, and makes you more approachable. AVOID: pictures of unsavory activities, pictures that are not you, and maybe even rethink that typical profile photo pose, taken by your phone elevated over your head, while you make pouty lips into the mirror. You know the one.
2. YOUR BIO. Most social media sites allow you a few quick words to help people get to know you. Here’s your chance to sum yourself up in a nutshell! Think of it your introduction if you were being called onstage to accept an award: “Beth Anderson: Mother, fitness expert, and entrepreneur,” rather than “Beth Anderson: just lovin life and livin it” or “Beth Anderson: the Beatles, red wine, travel.” You can even include a link to your portal if you so choose.
3. YOUR ACTIVITY. If you’re going to jump in, jump in. Create a presence for yourself. People that dabble every 45 days or so are missing opportunities to interact, to be involved, and to gather information. I’m not encouraging you to pounce on your friends every time they complain of a sniffle or ache (“HAVE YOU TRIED OPC-3 YET MSG ME FOR DETAILS”), however: the people in your social networks are your potential consumers, so being aware and keeping up with people is an extremely valuable tool to build your business. Think of it as free consumer research. You have the opportunity to be aware of your customers’ needs before they are.
4. YOUR POSTS. Post things that are important to you, that illustrate the kind of person you are, and that you think people will be interested in. Cooked an elaborate dinner? Snap a picture with Instagram; have it post to Twitter and Facebook. And don’t forget to interact with people who respond. Baby take its first steps? DEFINITELY tell the world. Heard an inspirational quote today? Share it! Avoid useless posts, complaints, and “vaguebooking”: the slang term for vague facebook posts like “So over it,” “YEAH!” or “Well this is bad,” meant to prompt questions asking for further explanation. You can also use your posts to demonstrate the UFO lifestyle (ex. “Spending the day with the kids at the park: priceless.” “I’m down 3 dress sizes!” “Giving a presentation to a new group of potential clients, wish me luck!”) while avoiding overly blatant self-promotion or advertising (ex. “Be your own boss! Let’s talk.” “I’m losing weight with TLS and you can too, message me for details!” “I know the secret to success, do you?”)
5. EDUCATE YOURSELF. Make sure you are using each social network properly. It never hurts to ask someone how things work; when my mom first joined Facebook she was posting messages on her own wall to other people; so that my mom’s status update was “Dana, how are things going?” or “Hi sweetie when are you going to be coming home?” rather than a post on my wall, or my sister’s. You want to appear savvy and confident, so make sure that your social media presence makes you look your best!