Looking to build a stronger connection with your audience? You’ll love my free Audience Connection guide. Download here.

One of the questions I get asked the most when speaking at events and inside my own paid coaching communities is what the balance should be between personal and business content on social media.

This is almost always followed up with “I’m a private person so I don’t want to share things about my personal life”. 

And I have a real sticking point here: and it’s the idea that sharing a more personal side of us through our marketing means we need to share things we’re not comfortable with, that are sensitive, and that we need to be “vulnerable”. 

I really dislike the notion of being “vulnerable” on social media. 

I think it has been overused and commoditised. So now we see people sharing sensitive things before they might feel ready to because they think that’s what they need to do on social media, or worse, for a response from their audience.

Now I’m the first to say: you do you. 

But what you don’t need to do is share anything that you don’t want. 

For instance, people often comment on how they like how open I am on social media and they feel as though they know me. 

What I’m not doing is going on my Stories when I’m in the middle of feeling stressed or anxious. I actually don’t share many images or details of my family. I don’t air the dirty laundry of mine and Koden’s relationship. 

But what is the alternative to being vulnerable? It’s being REAL.

Being real in how you show up and in sharing your thoughts, your values, your beliefs. 

Because as small business owners, it’s crucial that our audience connect with us.

And by showing up and being real, we allow our audience to see themselves in our stories. 

They can see their own challenges and desires being echoed through what we share.

Here’s some practical takeaways from you:

1. Speak/write in first person, using “I” rather than “we” or your company name.

• By sharing: “this is something I’ve found challenging and here’s how I’ve overcome it”.
• By sharing: “I know you might struggle with this – I understand.”
• And by simply showing your face and sharing an update on what you’re working on and an insight into your month, week or day. 

THAT is how we build a more personal connection with our audience: not through sharing other random parts of our life that are “vulnerable”. 

2. So you might be wondering how to show up when things are falling apart?

Again, let me put a disclaimer here that you of course get to choose – there’s no one right way, or one single response because we are all unique as are our experiences and circumstances. 

But I like to look at this as sharing when we have started to heal and we can share something that’s of value to our audience from our experience.

So when it’s hurting and raw and you’re “in it”, you don’t need to share that. 

Give yourself a little bit of time to heal and as you come out the other side and look back on it a little, because the important question to ask yourself is always:

“Who am I sharing this for?”

If deep down it’s for yourself, to get attention or affirmation, or because you feel like you “should” – don’t post it.

If you are sharing it because you believe it’s something that will resonate with your audience and leave them better off, press post.

So how can you be a little bit more real on your social media today?

Looking to build a stronger connection with your audience? You’ll love my free Audience Connection guide. Download here.