Show up or shut up: Why outsourcing your social media is a terrible idea

In a world filled with people all desperate to stand out online, but who are also worried about sharing too much of themselves, we end up with a massive sea of sameness. Where everyone looks, sounds and feels the same, which creates the problem of not actually standing out at all!

It’s important today that business owners are being seen online because social media grows and grows like weeds you can’t eradicate from the garden. You’ve got to be where the people are.

If you want to get a return on your investment for the visibility you cultivate online, then it’s a different ballgame to the one you’ve been sold. You do not have to be on social media every minute of every day, putting post after post up, meme after meme, or be spamming your audience with the thing that you sell. Begging them to buy. Urging them to buy.

But before we go there, I want to share with you a little something.

Imagine you were thinking about getting into the dating game. You might go to a bar. Let’s imagine that you catch the eye of someone, and head over and strike up a conversation.

There is some back and forth, questions and answers, as you learn more about the other person. In your minds, each of you is wondering similar things: Do I like this person enough to keep the conversation happening? Do I want to get to know them better? If the answer is yes, you might choose to exchange numbers, go on a date or catch up for a call to see if the ‘zing’ that you felt is still there the next day.

Even if you’re using a dating service, you’ve got to get to know the other party before making decisions about if you want to see more of this person or not.

It would make little sense to have this first experience with someone in the bar, exchange numbers, and then send your assistant on the coffee date or dinner date, complete with the instruction to get to know the other person better and to report back.

Outsourcing your social media to someone else is doing exactly this.

The person you outsource to (a virtual assistant or online social media manager these days) does not have your voice, your experience or your face. You cannot outsource relationship building, and this is exactly how we need to view social media.

Using the internet to grow your visibility, grow your audience and, in turn, grow your business, needs to be treated like you’re dating your prospective clients and audience.

You’ve got to show up as you. You’ve got to share your stories, your experience and your advice in such a way that it helps your audience to get to know you, your company and your culture.

You see, we’re all looking for someone to identify with. We’re all looking for real, genuine and authentic leaders and companies to follow, engage with and buy from. Why? Because it feels good to buy from someone you like.

Think how good it feels when you go into a coffee shop and the barista knows your name and the coffee you like, even though you’ve only been in there a few times.

It’s the attention to detail, the personal engagement and the perception they care about you that has you going back.

This is what’s missing in the online world today. We need more authentic engagement. And the best way you can do this is by showing up as you.

Share your stories. Share your philosophies. Share your ideas, and plans, and things that happen behind the scenes.

Let us in behind the wall of perfection that most businesses hide behind and share the realness that is the world of your company.

Your audience will love you for it.

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