Mind Your 10 P’s So There Won’t Be Q’s

Being a baby boomer has advantages. A lifetime of battle scars have healed as common sense, especially when it comes to social media.

Here are 10 P’s this middle-aged marketer knows for sure to help prevent questions about you or your business:

Privacy is in the past.

No self-respecting phone today is without a camera. Look around and see who is photographing you, and be aware you could be the next online sensation.

Pause before you post.

Even with editing capabilities, chances are you have had Posters Remorse. Follow your own intuition; pause, read, re-read, make sure you are not offending anyone, hurting yourself or your company, then post away.

Present your best self.

Digital has a long shelf life. People astound me with their inappropriate pictures, comments, shares, etc. Whether your online activity is for a company or yourself, put your very best self out into the universe. Trash stinks while the good stuff is timeless.

Post with purpose.

There’s nothing more aggravating than having alerts go off to find a picture of the hottest new toenail color on freshly painted toes. Really? If you are expecting us to read what you’ve posted, make it worth it. Something that makes us happy, learn, grow, ponder, and motivated works.

Pain does not equal gain.

Know people who post sad stories, prayer requests, and bad news? You tend to ignore them? No problem when people share their hard times, but frame the messages so that good comes from it. By getting it off your chest and onto ours, we all feel bad. Therefore, let’s balance the joys with the sorrows.

Pay it forward.

Posting positives through shout-outs, encouraging words, and public praises has no down side. If you have a beef with someone, keep it private. Using social tools to duke it out is not in good taste.

Profanity isn’t cool.

No matter what your age, profanity can be offensive. Some may feel it has its place, but not on social media. Remember you are building your own reputation, and your form of expression speaks volumes about YOU. If you want respect, leave profanity out of the airwaves.

Protect your brand and your identity.

Whether it’s personal or business, your online presence creates a mental and visual picture of your persona, as well as provides followers with personal information. Look at your online presence like your mother or boss would. What do you see? Would mom be proud, and would your boss give you a promotion? If not, regroup. TMI is sharing information that could help someone access you or your security, so if in doubt…don’t.

Preserve your core message.

I love words as much as anyone and can be guilty of using too many. Whether you blog, post, tweet, or Snapchat, trim your word count down as much as possible while preserving your core message. You will maintain your audience’s attention, which is the goal.

Promote!

What better way to get information out to the masses in an instant with little to no cost? Whether you are selling yourself or a product, social media must be one of your marketing techniques. If you are inexperienced, do not worry. Social Media experts like Mandy Edwards, ME Marketing Services, can help you. Reach out, read up and write on!

Minding your 10 P’s can help you avoid common mishaps and maximize your potential when using social media. The more careful you are, the less questions others will have about your integrity, abilities and intentions. Move forward with being actively engaged online, and enjoy the rewards both personally and professionally. Just remember, use your well earned common sense to reap big rewards!