Crushing the fears - How to actively engage on social media

If the thought of posting and interacting on social media makes you cringe, you are not alone. Even though most professionals nowadays have at least a LinkedIn profile; actively using their profile or branching out to other networks, like Twitter, is still a source of uneasiness for many. In fact, it seems the higher you climb the business ladder, the less willing you are to take the ‘risk.’

Recent surveys show that although 84% of CEOs and VPs say they use social media to help make purchasing decisions, only 27% of companies reported C-level executive engagement on social media in late 2015. Not even CMOs are that interested in using other social networks beyond LinkedIn, with only 31 CMOs of the top 100 brands having an active Twitter account.

The hindering fears

There are many questions and concerns that I come across when helping middle management and C-level executives in actively engaging on social media, particularly on Twitter.

However, if I had to choose the fears usually responsible for slowing down or stopping altogether active engagement on social media, they would have to be:

• Fear of an adverse outcome – What if I go viral for the wrong reasons?

• Implementation anxiety - How do I do this? How do I become an active social media user? Where do I start? Which platform should I use?

So let’s address the typical questions attached to these discouraging fears.

What if I go viral for the wrong reasons?

First of all, it is completely understandable if you are afraid of an adverse outcome on social media. If Tim Cook, a savvy techy, can make the iPhone look bad with just one tweet and go viral because of it, then it can happen to anyone, or can’t?

There are two parts to this type of concern: content, and the possibility of going viral.

When it comes to content, my rule of thumb is, don’t post anything that you wouldn’t say at a networking session, to your boss or in a meeting with your stakeholders.

Social media is an extension of your physical world, your relationships and your day to day life. Use the same rules and filters you use in the ‘real’ world, and you should be ok. However, do remember that like in the real world, you need to be prepared for the possibility of not everyone liking your views or opinions. The more controversial you are or want to be, the thicker your skin would have to be.

So what about the possibility of going viral? The short answer is, yes, there is a possibility of going viral but is not as easy as the media makes it look. Many factors lead to a post spreading like fire, a key one, being the number of followers you have.

Unless you already are a well-known figure in the traditional media (TV, press, radio), the chances of you reaching one million followers on Twitter faster than President Obama or Caitlyn Jenner are quite slim.

The reality is quite the opposite, as at the beginning, your follower count would probably be around the 20-30 mark, with most of them being family members and close friends. Friends that no doubt, will call you out for your inappropriate tweet way before it gets noticed by the masses.

In fact, and sorry to burst your popularity bubble, getting a large crowd of followers will take time, and by then you will probably have gotten the hang of it.

Last but not least, remember that perceptions around social media have changed significantly. A few years ago social media was regarded as a dangerous magnifying glass for mistakes, where the message couldn’t be controlled. These days, however, many consider social platforms as the best way to address and handle a crisis, as it’s quicker and more personal than a traditional PR release would ever be.

How do I do this? How do I actively engage on social media?

Let’s start by acknowledging that it's okay to be slightly (or very) overwhelmed by the thought of actively using social media. If you are not a millennial, who grew up surrounded by screens and are accustom to digital communications, social media can be a very unnatural and challenging environment.

The good news is practice makes perfect, and the more active you get on social media, the better you will be at it.

In fact, with time, not only will it become easier to post, but also, easier to identify the positive outcomes coming from your social media engagement.

In the meantime, here are some tips that can help you get started.

1. Join, watch and learn

The best way to find out how it is done is to sign up to the social network you are interested in. Follow a few people in your industry and a couple of news outlet. See how they do it and follow those who they are already following.  Doing this will help you to expand your network and later on, assist you in creating your own content.

For instance, if you are interested in starting to do some long-form posts on LinkedIn, then follow some influencers, and pay attention to the topics they write about, the structure of those posts and how often they do it. Use the same approach on other networks like Twitter and Google+.

Social media has its unique set of rules and slang, so don't be afraid of asking questions to your marketing people -they will love you for it- or Google.  We have all at some point in time asked questions like what’s the difference between # and @ on Twitter? Who can see my posts and likes? Or how do I block someone?

2. Start small

Don’t make your goal being the guru of social media; it will leave you nowhere. Instead of trying to cover all platforms, choose to get more active on the ones you already have a presence, or choose a new one –just one is ok- to grasp.

Choose your networks carefully, based on your target audience, but also on your personality.

If you are a bubbly person who loves to write, and not even your coffee order would fit in 140 characters, then maybe try writing a long-form post on LinkedIn first, before trying to dominate hashtags on Twitter. It’s better to do it well on one social platform than doing it badly on all of them.

3. Choose a theme

Pick a few topics that you are comfortable talking about (i.e. areas of expertise). If your business is already pushing a thought leadership agenda, then plug into it.

Demonstrate your thought leadership not only by sharing your own value-added content but also by engaging, and commenting on other people’s and businesses’ content. The combination of the two will help you increase your exposure, in turn, increasing your and your company’s brand awareness and trustworthiness.

Avoid the urge to talk about your products, services or share price. If your posts are just ads, they are going to get the advertising treatment, in other words,  people will switch you off (unfollow you). Subtle promotion is ok as long as you do it randomly.

4. Be yourself

Social media is called social for a reason. People want to know you; that means not just your business side, but also your personal side.

Use social media to share your values, your opinions, your passions, in other words, your personality. Do you have a favourite sports team? Are you preparing to run a half marathon? Are you a passionate supporter of a charity? Are you a wine connoisseur? The idea is not to lose your privacy with every post, but mix it up so people can relate to you.

There is nothing worse than going through someone’s profile, and finding out that they just talk about the same business topic, over and over. Or even worst, going through a Twitter feed full of retweets but no original content.

Finally, don’t forget social media is about engaging with others, so make sure you reply to those that mention you on a post and resist the urge to outsource your social media presence -if that is an option -, as people can spot a fake from miles away.

5. Be patient but stay committed

There is a reason why many people have a profile on a social media platform but don’t do anything with it. It takes serious commitment and patience to become an active social media user.

In one of my previous posts, I compared social media to a high maintenance partner, and I stand by it. Your social media platform(s) will require constant attention;  your followers will expect way more than a tweet late at night while you watch the news, and getting them to trust you is going to be a challenge.

However, although the benefits may not be evident as quickly as you would like them to be, they will come, and they will be much more than just increased brand awareness.

So crush those social media fears that have been holding you back, and get going!

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Originally published on LinkedIn