Bragging and blatant self-promotion annoys us all. Just a few of the comments I’ve seen recently on social media networks (editorial comments in parentheses are not actually real, but likely thought by many):
“I’m being interviewed on Channel 8 News tonight!”
(Aren’t you a bigshot? And I should care because ….?)
“John Doe says you like John Doe. Click here to become a Fan of John Doe.”
(How presumptuous and arrogant!)
“Be sure to come to our event.”
(Thanks, but what’s in it for me?)
If you are constantly telling the world how great you are … or how important you think your stuff is … what does that make you? Arrogant? Boring? At the least it makes you a noisy and borderline-annoying chatterbox.
That creates a real quandary, though, doesn’t it? We all want to leverage the power of social media to brand ourselves. Yet who wants to run the risk of becoming perceived as a nuisance or stream hog?
There’s a subtle, simple solution: get others to say it for you. It is far more credible and powerful when someone in your social network touts your expertise or spreads the news of your latest award or accolade. Referrals and testimonials are two of the most powerful tools in retail and commercial marketing. They’re just as powerful in the personal branding realm!
When it comes to the mechanics of getting third-party assistance, there are two ways to go about it. The indirect method follows the Golden Rule of Social Networking: Tweet, comment, Like and favorite unto others, as you would have them do unto you. Simply put, what comes around goes around; so if you lead by touting and publicizing others, they will reciprocate. (Note: this takes time and is not an immediate tactic. Get started on this right now!)
The direct method involves asking a trusted friend within your social networks to put something out there on your behalf. This works if you do it sparingly. I have a half-dozen Friends and Tweeps with whom I am able to make such requests (very infrequently) and from whom I am always happy to receive similar requests (periodically). When I have important news to spread, or when I want to promote an event or a website, I’ll send a link to Jason or Emily, along with a courteous request: “Would you mind Tweeting this event out for me?” Or, “Could you pop up a short blog post with a link to this news clip?”
So let’s re-imagine our opening examples, from a third-party source perspective:
“Can’t wait to see John Doe on Channel 8 News tonight! Tune in at 6:30 if you happen to be in front of the tube.”
“The new John Doe Fanpage is pretty sweet. Check it out if you’re looking for some great info, ideas and entertainment options.”
“I’m really looking forward to the John Doe event next Thursday. Will you be there too? http://events.JohnDoe.click”
Much better, don’t you think?
Stop posting and tweeting your own stuff. Social media is littered with selfish drivel. Instead, harness the power of third-party credibility and your brand equity will begin to soar!
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Skip Lineberg is co-author of the book, Effective Immediately – How to Fit In, Stand Out and Move Up at Your First Real Job. He learned the basics of business, management and marketing at GE, during the Jack Welch heydays, and later parlayed that learning into the founding of marketing firm, Maple Creative.
