Like many other consumers of social media, I’ve cringed many times because of meme overload, the over-sharing of personal information and picture after picture of babies, dogs and food. Consequently, I end up spending time skimming posts until I find something that catches my eye. Full disclosure: I’ve also been guilty of over-sharing at one point or another.
However, what I’ve noticed recently is that it’s not just people like me who go overboard on these platforms. Brands tend to over-share as well in their quest to generate buzz, overwhelming people with their campaigns, hashtags and product promos. And so, a crucial question arises – how much should you share online?
As far as brands are concerned, we know that being dormant on social media is no longer an option. But what we often fail to understand is that nothing good comes from being overactive either. Too much information can annoy people, causing them to unsubscribe or stop following brands altogether. I’ve lost count of how often I’ve had to unfollow brands for this very reason.
It is tricky to achieve a balance between informing customers about your brand’s news and initiatives and infuriating them. The key is to have a finger on the pulse of your audience and ensure that what you post is of value and in sync with the expectations of a platform’s users. For example, Twitter users expect frequent posts whereas Facebook users expect no more than two posts a day.
It seems obvious, but brands must also carefully consider all the ways posts can be perceived. For many people, perception is reality. Steer clear of posts with intimate or inappropriate imagery or posts related to company earnings, trade or industry secrets, opinions on controversial topics or current events and inappropriate jokes. Such posts can make a brand appear insensitive and irresponsible. In 2014, while responding to a customer on Twitter, US Airways included a pornographic image. The tweet was deleted an hour later and the airline apologized publicly, but the damage had been done.
From a personal perspective too, sharing too much on social media can have negative implications in the professional world. An increasing number of companies are scanning candidates’ social media profiles before making an official offer to them. Additionally, there are several instances where employees have been fired for an inappropriate social media post. A recent example: ESPN fired analyst Curt Schilling this month for his post on Facebook seemingly in response to the North Carolina law barring transgender people from using public bathrooms and locker rooms that don’t match their birth genders.
Results are magnified on social media but so are missteps. Social media platforms enhance our lives in several ways, but they also serve as an outlet for messages that are better off unsent. And so, it is critical to establish boundaries regarding what is being shared and how often.
What steps have you taken to prevent over-sharing?