If you have at least one social media account, you’ve no doubt shared something on it. After all, if not, why have the account at all? The big question is do people care what you share? A study by Intel Corporation found that 90% of American adults think people share too much and half of them find it to be overwhelming. I have to admit; I have either unfriended people or changed my settings on my Facebook page to no longer show people’s posts because I simply have no interest in what they are saying.
So why do we share?
- Attention and Recognition – We want to be noticed. I admit I do this too. Last week we got published (see I just did it again) on an industry Social Media site and I wanted my followers (clients and colleagues) to know about it so I shared on my Facebook and LinkedIn page. People share to get attention for themselves, their work, and their expertise.
- Benefits and Perks – A new common thing on Facebook is for companies to offer up some prize if you share about them on Facebook. This is a gimmick but its helping businesses to expand their fan base that they can then go out and market to. While it’s working, its more often being ignored as people are overwhelmed with this type of crap on their Facebook wall. The advice to businesses is simple: don’t treat your customers like monkeys. Provide them with content they will want to share.
- Keep It Simple – Remember, people are overwhelmed. Keep your posts as simple as you can. No long stories or anything that takes real focus. Less is more and photos always have a better response than just text.
- Create a Sense of Urgency – If you have a special offer to give your “Facebook Only” customers, show some urgency with something like “The first 25 people to comment on this post with their favorite thing about our service get 25% off their next visit.” Those that act are true fans. Those that don’t will wish they were paying more attention to you and be more eager the next time around. If any fans who missed the special follow up with you, don’t give them the same offer – give them something even better. After all, they took the time to go the extra mile; make them feel equally as important by doing the same for them. Now THAT is personal service!
- Show Your Successes – If you offer a service such as home remodeling, auto body repair, or cosmetic surgery, show photos of the before work and the after work. People love photos and showing the successful transformation will always be a hit.
The next time you decide to share something, think about your followers. Ask yourself this question: “Do they care what I am about to share?” I’ll answer this for you, 9 out of 10 times (see stats in first paragraph) they don’t, so don’t do it. If you have something truly of value that will benefit your followers and you can show why, share away.