Social Media Shenanigans:Twenty Questions

As a final nod to the month of posts dedicated to social media shenanigans, I put together a list of questions to consider before you post. Of course during the month, I have seen people still behaving badly on social media platforms. That’s not going to change anytime soon. Perhaps this is a good time to remind ourselves that our online personalities and reputations need protecting, just the same way our ‘real’ lives do. It might seem like a cumbersome task to ask twenty questions before posting something. Where’s the fun in that? Well, there’s also no fun trying to re-build a damaged reputation because of one careless post.

1. Who is my target audience? When we post of course we have an intended audience that we want to like, comment or share our post. Tailor your posts to suit your audience.

2. Why will anyone care about this post? Post content that is going to impact someone for the better.

3. Is anyone going to be offended after reading this post? It is a hard task not to step on online toes but it is possible to be politically correct about important issues, without causing offence to anyone.

4. Is this the best forum to communicate this? Sometimes its better to write something and then delete it just to get it off your chest as opposed to posting something and realizing that it should never have been on social media. Ever!

5. Have I posted more than three times today already? I can’t tell you how often to post. I can tell you sometimes people think that more than three times a day is a bit much.

6. Did I check spelling and grammar? Sigh. I can’t even say anything more about this without grinding my teeth. Just check.

7. It is ok that this post could potentially be seen by the whole online world? You may regret something really personal being viewed by any and every one.

8. Am I being deliberately vague to get sympathy and attention? Don’t be vague in an attempt to get people to ask you what’s wrong or to initiate engagement from your followers.

9. Am I posting while upset or emotional? Take a breath. It might seem like a good idea in the heat of the moment until you hit ‘post’.

10. Am I posting age appropriate content? Yes-appropriate for MY age. Am I behaving like a hormonal teenager or a mature person of 40(cough) something?

11. Did I think this post through or am I reacting to something? A well thought out post is always well received and inspires confidence in your followers.

12. Am I using social media to vent or will this post influence someone in a good way? Sometimes a vent needs a phone call to your best friend, not a post telling the whole world about the injustice you have suffered.

13. Am I being kind? No further explanation needed.

14. Does this post support my brand? If you didn’t know it, you are your brand. This doesn’t only refer to business posts. How will your post support your image as a wife/husband, mother/father, friend, brother, uncle…..you get the picture. Your post can negatively spill over onto your family and friends.

15. Where am I posting from? Consider if you are at a funeral or wedding and should you be posting at such an event? Don’t share news (or photo’s) that is NOT yours to share.

16. Is this post cemented in truth? People want and appreciate authenticity and truth.

17. Am I stirring? Check your intentions before you post. Is your aim to stir conflict and controversy or do you want to start a healthy discussion?

18. Will this post embarrass my future self in a year…or two?

19. Am I boasting? It’s the best place to share good news and people want to join in your celebrations and joy but watch the tone of your posts. Pride comes before a fall.

20. Does my post suit this platform? Different platforms have different practices for optimal benefit to the follower. Hash tags, tagging, content and length of a post are important things to consider for different platforms.

My final thoughts on this would be:

· Do always use your common sense.

· Do delete. If you are unsure about the answers to any of these questions-delete the post.

· Do make your posts count. It’s your voice. Use it wisely.