NO, I WON’T SHARE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA POST

NO, I WON'T SHARE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA POST

Have you ever asked a friend, family member, or associate to share your social media posts to help you grow your brand awareness or cause?  And then, they refuse! What jerks, right? Well, it isn’t that simple…

One of my favorite things about social media is keeping in touch with clients across the social landscape. Watching them bring their greatness & share insightful ideas that inspire me. I had the honor of working with Ms. Yaneek Page and her talented team last year. Yaneek is a game-changing, award-winning entrepreneur making a huge impact by helping Caribbean business owners enter new markets as Program Lead for Market Entry USA.

Yaneek shared a Tweet today about social media etiquette that had me applauding!

She explained why the lack of sharing is not a lack of caring. It’s simply protecting one’s brand, consistency of message, and keeping integrity to a process. So, in this case, I asked, “Please, let me share your social media post on my page!”

And she graciously agreed…

Let’s talk about asking people to share your content on social media. Guys, understand that people can support you, your events or cause BUT refuse to repost/share your content. Respect their right to say NO!

This is the Digital Age! Many people now recognize the value of their social media assets and are intentional about personal branding. This means they’re less random & more strategic about their posts.

It also means they have to be vigilant about the content & ensure it aligns with their own image, personal brand & goals. At the risk of offending family, friends, colleagues & even clients, people will guard their social media vigilantly. It’s a huge part of their digital footprint.

We’ve developed this habit of asking people to “share on your page” and expecting that they must say yes.

Like, what’s the big deal? It’s just a post.

No! It’s not that simple & it is a big deal. Their reputation & brand could be on the line.

Sharing, reposting & promoting other people’s content – whether it’s an event, flyer or cause is akin to saying “I endorse this” or “here’s what I’m about” Some may even assume you’re connected with the organization etc. That’s a risk not everyone is willing to take.

Remember too, your brand isn’t just image. It is reputation. Managed well, it’s an asset. Managed poorly, it’s a liability. It’s your tone, your language, your values, your frequency & depth of sharing. It shouldn’t be random!

Whether it’s your family, close friend, or colleague. Whether you’ve hired, contracted or booked them to do work. Respect that people are not obligated to share what you’ve asked them to. Frankly speaking, in this digital age, that is sometimes an unreasonable ask.

Yaneek Page

Yaneek Page is the founder of the Caribbean’s first litigant support company, Future Services International Limited. A certified trainer in entrepreneurship, Yaneek is also the creator & executive producer of The Innovators, a TV series airing in over 18 countries which transforms small businesses and promotes entrepreneurship. She is also an entrepreneurship and small business writer for MasterCard Caribbean Business Blog and the Gleaner newspaper.

Yaneek is also the Program Lead for Market Entry USA, an accelerator program that helps Caribbean entrepreneurs to achieve their goal of expanding outside their country of origin to the US Market.

by Marie Hale