We all know, or should know, that content is king. What many of us do not realise is that content is more than just our blog posts. Promoting ourselves, our companies, and our brands on the Internet is the way we do business. Everything we share is content.
The truth is that everything we do online reveals us. The rule of thumb is to act online the way you would act in real life. Imagine that you are literally standing in front of friends, family, co-workers, and strangers and then consider if you would still share the content.
Content is anything that others can find out about you online, and includes:
- Private emails
- Professional emails
- Your website
- Your blog
- Your blog posts
- Your grammar, spelling, and punctuation
- Your about page, your contact page, your services page
- Your profile pictures on private and professional platforms
- Your ‘about you’ descriptions on every social media platform
- Your backgrounds on social media
- Your themes on social media
- Your photographs on social media
- Your shared quotations, images, and cartoons on social media
- Your shared articles and links on social media
- Your reviews of anything
- Social media updates, including personal Facebook statuses, tweets on Twitter, pins on Pinterest,LinkedIn updates, Instagram pictures and videos, YouTube videos, Google+ posts, Tumblr posts
- Responses or lack of responses on social media platforms
- Infographics you create
- Your services and products, including courses, ebooks, webinars
- The brands and people you follow
You are your content
So think carefully before you post that crazed political rant, dubious link, unintelligible update, drunken photograph, selfie #923, super-religious quotation, anti-religious e-card, or that unflattering comment about your co-workers, company, friends, or family. If that is how you really want to be perceived, go ahead, but please check your spelling and grammar before you do. If you do care about how others perceive you, don’t post it.
If you want to learn how to blog and write for social media, join us for The Social Brand, our social media workshop.
