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As a business owner, what should I share on social media?

If you want people to follow you on social media, you must be worth following.  There are two traits common to people who are followed on social media:

• Be interesting.
• Be valuable.

Being interesting does not mean you need to jump up and down.  There are countless examples of the mild mannered person being successful on social media.  It is not a matter of your personality, but how you use your personality.

If you are passionate about your subject, it will come through.  If you know what you are talking about, those people who are interested will find you.  Being interesting is about relating to people who have a similar passion or interest.

Being valuable is something almost anyone can do.  Being valuable means that you are giving information or entertainment of more value than the time it takes to read or watch your social media post.  You want to add value not take it away.

Let’s look at some examples:

• Sharing what you ate for breakfast – Not valuable, not interesting.
• Finding a frog in your cereal and sharing a picture of it – Not valuable, but interesting.
• Sharing how you fold your shirts – Not valuable, not interesting.
• Sharing a new way to fold shirts in three seconds – Valuable and interesting.

The same applies to your business. Share information that is relevant, interesting and valuable.  It can be your information or something you read in an article.  If you want to be shared, make sure you are sharing other people’s information. It is the value of reciprocation.

Should I share personal info if I am trying to attract people to my business?

Yes and no.  Yes, share things that are important to you.  No, don’t share intimate details of your life.  Here are some examples that will help you determine what works for you and your business.

Here are some things you CAN share:

• Funny stories that happened to you.
• Social causes.
• Your beliefs and worldview.
• Your passions for business and helping others.
• Hobbies in general: share some tips!

Here are some things NOT to SHARE:

• Relationship problems.
• What you had for breakfast.
• Where you live.
• What you do on the weekends.
• Ranting against the newest policy or trend.

These are just some guidelines.  You can share about your passions and what you stand for, but be careful when you are always railing against something.  People are more likely to follow others who stand FOR something, rather than someone who stands AGAINST everything.

With that being said, it is OK to make a stand against something every so often.  Just make sure you are sharing more things you stand for than you stand against.  Heck, turn your negative into a positive.  If you stand against something, find the opposite and stand for it.

What kind of things do you think business owners should share on social media? Share it on our Youtube or GooglePlus.