Personal posts in your social media strategy

General

What makes your small business so special? You!

Buying from a small business can be more expensive, and it usually doesn’t come with next-day delivery, but the personal touches, the visible passion and the human connection make all the difference. Social media gives you a space to showcase what makes you and your business so special, it’s a space where we can not only see what you’re selling, but where we can get to know, like and trust you.

The 80-20 rule

There is a rule that suggests that 80% of your posts should be entertaining or educational, while 20% of your posts should directly promote your business. But if you know me, you know I’m not a believer in one-size-fits-all social media strategies. I think you have to find a balance that you are comfortable with and that your followers enjoy.

So why am I telling you about this rule?

It’s easy to feel uncomfortable sharing ‘too many’ personal posts; it’s easy to feel like you need to stay professional and only talk about business things. This ‘rule’ is a good reminder that it’s OK to have some fun and geek out about the things you love.

It’s also easy to feel uncomfortable writing those salesy posts; it can feel icky, it can feel pushy, it can feel spammy. This ‘rule’ is a good reminder that it’s about balance.

For my own socials, I usually aim for:

20-40% salesy posts

20-40% educational

20% entertaining

20% personal/behind the scenes

But that looks different for all my clients!

Knowing what to share

What you share in personal posts is a personal choice. Some people aren’t comfortable with any of their personal lives being promoted to strangers, and some people share every detail of their lives. You’re looking for that sweet spot somewhere in the middle. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

If you’re mentioning other people in your posts, make sure they are comfortable with you doing so.
If it’s important to you, it’s important.
You are in control!

Unsure if something is relevant to your business? Imagine if this post goes viral, will it benefit your business? Is it allowing people to see your passion and what makes you so good at what you do?

Other ways of showing up

Your posts aren’t the only tools you have at your disposal to allow people to get to know the person behind the business. If you’re not sure what personal/behind-the-scenes you could share, consider these alternative tools:

Your Stories. It’s only there for 24 hours, and it’s mostly seen by your existing followers. Unsure how to use Stories? Find out more here.
Facebook groups. Private ones are closely monitored by admins to ensure you won’t be sharing those personal posts with any creeps. Unsure what groups you should be looking for? Find out more here.
Other people’s comment section. When you see a post that’s asking a direct question, it’s a great opportunity to share a little bit about yourself without shining a big spotlight on it.

Remember, it’s the little things that make all the difference!

Working with a professional

One of the hardest parts of my job is to create these personal posts for my full-management customers. They’re also a big reason why many small business owners don’t want to fully outsource their social media. So how does it work?

When I’m working on a full-management basis, I still have regular catch-ups with the customer, and that initial “how are you doing” is just as important as any strategy talk or questions that follow. But I’ll be honest, I actually rarely work have customers on these packages.

On a part-management basis, my customers usually keep posting stories themselves, and they’ll still post those in the moment posts. My job is more about building and maintaining the strategy while they add that personal touch.

All the other ways I support small business owners are about helping them manage their own social media account – and of course, that includes helping them find the balance that works best for them.

Tired of doing your social media alone?

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