Call us the “reluctants.”
A few months ago, we were gently persuaded by colleagues to establish a Twitter handle. [Facebook and Instagram, to us, are very personal spaces; we don’t use either for business.]
We did. And promptly forgot about it.
Which is why, when more and more social media experts are shouting that, in this job-hungry market, seekers need to actively manage their personal brand via Web sites and postings and group contributions to drive personal visibility, we politely say “humbug.”
First, Google knows you … intimately. As do the other search engines. Chances are, whatever you say about yourself in an e-space will have already shown up.
Second, we truly get the need to social-media-ize. For business, that is. LinkedIn pages and postings, Twitter notes about events and ideas, Instagram visuals: All good, if they’re done with care and without braggadocio. Nothing annoys us more than egregious publicity for publicity’s sake. [Many celebrities practice it; why should we?]
Third, it’s about value. Got a clarifying comment for a discussion or a footnote about certain references? Add it. Want to talk about your expertise in a non-promotional fashion? Those seven to ten critical steps or three to five “gotta dos” about a hot topic make for a great blog or mini-thought paper.
Finally, Mom always told us to speak only when we had something to say. That’s awfully good advice today.