I recently read an interesting post on the top things not to share on social media (you can find the original article here) and it got me thinking. How many of us are guilty of posting or sharing things that, on reflection, were better left unshared or unsaid?
So, I popped a link into our VA groups, and asked what type of social media content really got on our nerves – and here’s an overview of what the top five results were.
Controversial topics
It’s well known, politics and religion are two VERY controversial subjects. You can guarantee, if you start talking about one or the other, people are going to jump in with a differing opinion. And from there, things tend to go downhill, fast.
Your political and religious beliefs are personal to you. You don’t have to justify them or try to sway others towards them, as part of the day-to-day running of your VA business. So, please keep your professional life and your personal religious or political standings separate.
Sensitive subjects
We’ve all seen images on social media that have either upset or sickened us. Many of these posts are shared, through a desire to shine a light on cruel or unlawful activities. Unfortunately, they can easily offend or upset other people – especially those with a sensitive disposition.
If you feel you must share posts that deal with sensitive subjects, please do so thoughtfully. Graphic images should be kept out of the general feed and, if possible, a warning put in their place. If you’re linking to external content, take out the preview image and just share the link.
Belittling or derogatory posts about clients and/or colleagues
If you’re using social media for business purposes, you need to keep it professional. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who feel that social media platforms are the perfect space to rant about a competitor, colleague or client. Please don’t be one of those people – not only is it not professional, it’s going to undermine and even, destroy, your reputation.
Scaremongering spam/hoaxes
If you’re sharing posts warning of potential hacks, fake account profiles or new laws that WILL affect everyone’s privacy – please make sure they’re real. It takes a couple of minutes to run a quick internet search to see how genuine these posts are.
Share to win
Another annoying type of post is the general share to win type post. These insist on you sharing the post with all your friends or forwarding it to everyone you know, to be in with a chance to win a house, 20 carat diamond ring or other extravagant prize.
Hosting a competition with a tag or share to win entry requirement, is against Facebook’s terms of use. Don’t get drawn in by the shiny prize on offer. Obviously, there are some genuine contests out there, but they tend to stay on the right side of Facebook and the other social media platforms – and always involve you entering your name and details on an entry form of some kind!
Your social media posts need to be relevant to your business. Prior to posting anything, ask yourself whether what you’re sharing will be relevant and of value to your target audience. If not, it’s probably best left unshared or unsaid.
Do you agree with our top five results or are there other types of post that really get on your nerves? What are your thoughts around sharing the above type posts? Why not share your thoughts and opinions, in the comments box below!