Social Media: Don’t Try To Be Someone You’re Not

by | Jun 7, 2011

In the social media arena like in the real world people need to know, like and trust you in order to have a meaningful relationship. In the social media space, things are somewhat different in that you can’t choose the people following you.

Bear in mind that more people are watching than participating. According to Heidi Cohenyour typical social media audience is comprised of about 90% who are lurkers (just watching and listening but aren’t jumping into the conversation). Of the balance, about 8% are actually participating in conversations and less than 2% are highly engaged.

Here are some tips on how to be who you are (transparent):

  • Let people know who you are if you plan on jumping into a conversation – Believe me, they will eventually find out and if you’re doing this as a representative of a brand, not only will you suffer but so will the brand.
  • Listen before you leap – Don’t jump right into a conversation. See what others are saying and don’t just talk for talking sake. If you can’t contribute something, just continue to listen.
  • Use human speak – In other words, talk like you normally do in a conversational tone. Leave the corporate speak out of this arena.
  • Be responsive – If you do a post and someone responds, acknowledge and answer the question even if it’s with an I don’t know but I’ll get back to you answer. It’s just common courtesy and if you want to build a relationship, you need to have more than a one-way conversation.
  • Don’t overshare – This is especially true when it comes to sensitive or confidential material from your company. Remember, you need to set limits and once it’s out there, it will be there forever!

Those are some of my thoughts on the subject. If you’d like to add to the list, please feel free to.

If you like this post, you may want to read:

Social Media: 10 Rules to Abide By

Social Media Introverts: Here are Ways for You to Come out of the Closet

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