The power of personal

Earlier this week I did something very small that resulted in 100 people sharing a facebook post, a good level of other engagement and high number of views. 

It was essentially a potentially dull but essential public-service announcement type of post about the dangers of swimming in rivers and ponds during the hot weather. Many people and organisations are trying to get this message out after the tragic deaths of over 15 teenagers in a short period of time. 

Official bodies with far more followers than me have put out similar posts but I've noticed many falling on deaf ears, with little interaction despite the importance of this message. Many people just don't respond to official messages or information from organisations rather than individuals. 

I didn't expect to get much response to my post earlier, but I did have a relevant experience I wanted to share. So I started with that - a brief, personal example.

Humans are curious by nature and we all love stories. Some stories are told through Netflix blockbuster films. Some are quietly whispered, friend to friend. 

When we use social media we're really just trying to do what we do naturally off-line: pass on messages and information, and tell some stories. Yet social media posts are often either shouty - 'buy this', 'grab this bargain' - or bits of info without any personality, any heart or humanity. 

When I offer advice on social media I usually notice posts by workshop participants as they try to implement the ideas I've given them. There's never any doubting the intention and hard work that goes into those posts but one thing differentiates the ones that are really effective. Some posts sound as if they're following an instruction. Completely correct but very slightly off-mark. They just don't get the traction they deserve. Some are more personal, written from the heart and they usually get a better response. 

I'm not suggesting you have to give lots of personal details or wear your heart on your sleeve. Most of us want to keep our personal lives private. But you can personalise what you write, without giving too much of your self away. Everyone one is human, and we can all write as we speak, as humans. 

Many of us don't like social media and resent the time we 'have' to spend on it. And it shows. 

The simple switch of recognising social media as a very effective, free, easy-to-use marketing channel that enables us to reach many people, instead of thinking of it as a 'should do' activity can make a huge difference. So can deciding you'll imagine someone reading your post and then writing as one human to another can also have a real impact.