Are you posting to social media just to show off the events you get to go to, or who you’re getting to hang with? If so, you may be alienating your followers or potential customers.
Case in point: A large local church uses social media such as Twitter and Facebook quite often to promote the upcoming sermon series, events, volunteer pushes and so forth. The staff members have done a good job of creating quite a following of people who read and respond to their posts. However, not much attention is paid to making sure that the posts of these staff members don’t make their followers feel “out of the loop” The church in mention recently held their annual staff event. During the event which lasted several days, social media outlets were pouring with posts from staff members talking about all of the people they were getting to rub elbows with and speakers they were getting to listen to. There was even one post in which the poster mentioned how they were learning how to break down “insider” walls of the church. This very post received unanswered comments asking where they were, if there was a special speaker at their church that night, if it was an event they could attend and such. Unfortunately, in a what seemed to be a perpetual 1-upping effect, other staff members followed suit with RTs and Share Posts as if to say “Look at me, I got to be here too”. This then began the same chain with their followers asking questions and another staffer re-posting.
In an attempt to constantly post new content to their social media outlets (a good practice) these church staffers had given just enough info in their posts to tease their followers as to what they got to participate in that their followers didn’t.
Don’t take me wrong here. It’s fine to post experiences you’re having at events, on vacations, or things like that. But be sure that your message doesn’t come across (intended or not)… “look what I get to be a part of that you don’t”. It may seem that your are caught in the perpetual 1-upping that many social media posters get wrapped up in.
It makes your followers feel alienated and as if you think you’re on a different level than them. Always share with your followers as if they are friends or family and you are sending them a post card that reads “I wish you were here”.
to longer terms on your contracts, you know. Everything people sign up for has a 3,6, or even 12 month contract, so I’d be fine with that if you need to do that.”
