Mind Your Manners: Social Media + Self Promotion

A friend recently earned the promotion of a lifetime and was looking to share the good news with her networks. Like many of us, she turned to social media to make the announcement. Within minutes of sitting down to post, her elation melted to confusion and frustration as she asked, “How should I word this so I don’t sound like I’m bragging?” So often we hear this sentiment echoed among friends and colleagues. “I don’t normally post things like this but…” “I’m not looking for attention…  or a personal favorite, “I only got 10 Likes…do you think I should take it down?”

For better or worse, social media has made it easier than ever to “show-off.” The very nature of the online environment encourages users to become their own PR powerhouse. Simply log into Instagram to view perfectly filtered lives, or turn to Facebook to see a friend sharing their latest and greatest accomplishment. While we all know of that one person who over shares every detail of their life online, most of us mind our manners but still struggle to sell ourselves with social media. So how do you share successes, build a personal brand and confidently promote yourself without being a brag?

Here are some tips from Delucchi’s Self-Proclaimed Miss Social Media Manners:

Tell a Story. Share examples that paint a picture of your personal passions, successes, and capabilities. Nothing is more powerful than a great story and we gravitate toward those who tell them well.

Be Relatable. Who is your audience and what do they care about? Coupling your story of success with an audience “value add” makes for a self-promotion gold mine. Try pairing your recent promotion announcement with a “Five Things I Learned as an Entry Level Employee” blog post. This provides value for your audience while pushing your own story.

Own it. Whenever you post a story, a success or even a personal musing you run the risk of disapproval. Whether it’s in the form of blatant backlash or heaven forbid someone unfollows/unfriends you, don’t take it personally. Nowadays it’s not about who you know, it’s about “who knows you know.”