No matter how heavily I encourage my social media management clients to post content that shows their face or shares something personal, it is still a struggle! And while I understand the hesitancy – it is one of the most important things you can do to increase your engagement and develop a deeper connection with your customers and clients.
As a small business owner, YOU are the most important part of your brand. Your customers are choosing to buy from YOU and not the other big corporations who sell similar products or services. I tell my clients this all the time: YOU ARE YOUR BRAND’S SECRET SAUCE. And your social media should reflect your voice and your personality. And that means getting personal…but not TOO personal!
There is a difference between sharing personal details and stories that strengthen your brand and align with your business goals, and those that overshare, alienate your customers, make you feel vulnerable, or air your dirty laundry.
To get you started, here are some tips for injecting more of yourself into your posts and some guidance on what to avoid when getting personal on your social media.
Tips for Getting Personal:
- Share Your Why: Start by sharing your entrepreneurial journey. Explain what inspired you to start your business, the challenges you’ve faced, and the milestones you’ve achieved. This humanizes your brand and makes it relatable. Revisit this type of content every month. Just because you share it once, doesn’t mean that your audience saw it.
- Show Your Face: Post photos and videos of yourself at least once in every 6-9 posts (That’s less than 25% of your content – so it’s really not that much!). Let your audience see the person behind the business. Share moments from your daily life, such as behind-the-scenes glimpses, hobbies, or even family celebrations.
- Create Personal Content Categories: Identify one or two aspects of your personal life that you share regularly. It can be as simple as pictures of your dog, family outings in your city, community activities, your morning coffee run, a race that you’re training for, or the book you’re reading.
- Highlight Your Brand Values: Share the core values and beliefs that are at the heart of your business. Explain why these values are important to you and how they shape your brand’s mission.
- Share Stories: Stories help people connect with you and your business on an emotional level. Regularly include anecdotes and personal stories related to your business in your content. These could be customer success stories, personal experiences that inspired a product/service, or challenges you’ve overcome.
- Ask for Input and Feedback: Engage your audience by asking for their opinions and feedback on various aspects of your business. This not only shows that you value their input but also creates a sense of community.
- Express Gratitude: Regularly express gratitude for your customers’ support. Personalize your thank-you messages to show that you genuinely appreciate their loyalty.
Things to Avoid:
- Oversharing Personal Problems: While it’s okay to be vulnerable and share personal anecdotes, avoid oversharing personal problems, as it can make your audience uncomfortable and may not align with your brand image.
- Reacting to Negative Feedback: Address negative feedback professionally and constructively. Do not fight in your comment section or respond angrily to a review. This can damage your reputation and turn off customers.
- Controversial or Polarizing Topics: Be cautious when discussing controversial, political, or polarizing subjects that don’t relate to your business. These topics can alienate segments of your audience and lead to backlash.
- Overloading with Personal Content: Balance personal posts with business-related content. Your social media should primarily serve your business goals, so don’t overwhelm your audience with personal content.
- Ignoring Privacy Concerns: Respect your own and your customers’ privacy. Avoid sharing sensitive personal information that could compromise security or make people uncomfortable. Basically, don’t share anything you wouldn’t tell a stranger.
- Losing Focus on Your Brand: While sharing personal stories is essential, ensure that your posts ultimately align with your brand’s message and goals. Don’t stray too far from your core identity.
Remember that the key is finding the right balance between personal and professional content that resonates with your target audience and reinforces your brand’s identity.
So now, get out there and show your face! Show the world why YOU are worthy of serving the exact client or customer you’ve set out to serve.