You already know that boundaries can appear in many ways throughout your business. But did you ever think boundaries would factor into your branding?

Warren Buffet once said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it.”

In an age when we can broadcast our innermost thoughts to millions of people in seconds, Buffet’s wisdom is even more invaluable.

Who you are, what you share, and what you allow to exist on your social media all impact how the world sees you. Whether you like it or not, it will also impact who chooses to work with you and who runs (screaming) to a competitor.

Whether you are starting a new business, growing an existing one, or scaling to the point of hiring a team, living your branding boundaries will help you achieve your business goals. Maybe you’re not in business for yourself but looking for a new opportunity as an employee. Trust me: potential employers are ABSOLUTELY looking at your social media to understand who you are and how you will fit into their culture.

Take a Social Media Inventory of Your “Brand”

It’s time to do a social media inventory on your business AND professional accounts.

“No, I have a separate business account. My personal accounts are just that… personal.”

Sure, one could argue that if you work for a huge, faceless corporation, your personal accounts will never factor into the company’s branding. However, if you are a solopreneur, run a small to medium-sized business, or even if you run that big, faceless corporation, you better bet who you are and how you show up (everywhere) will factor into whether or not people do business with you.

Before we get into how to do a social media inventory and what to look for, let’s look at two examples of business owners I know have lost business because of their personal pages:

1. I know an individual who runs her own professional services company (I’m intentionally being vague to protect the guilty). Every few days, they are on their personal social media complaining about or mocking a client. Sure, no names are used, but would you want to do business with someone who may insult you on a public forum?
2. I recommended a health and wellness professional to a friend. This professional’s business page had no information on it, so my friend looked at her personal page. It was filled with religious and political posts, and my friend chose not to work with them based on these posts.

How to Do a Social Media Inventory

Take one platform at a time and pretend you aren’t you for a moment. View your page through the eyes of a stranger. Looking through this person’s posts, what can you gather about their moral code? How do they do business? How do they treat others? How do they see life?

Here are a few items to look for:

• Are their posts positive or negative? Do they constantly complain, or do they look for the lesson even in difficult times?
• Do they badmouth clients, employees, vendors, competitors, or even friends or family?
• Do they speak out on current issues, take a political or religious stand, or support a cause? (To be fair, I’m not saying you can’t do any of these things. However, you need to know that no matter where you plant your flag, there will be people who choose NOT to work with you because of it.)

Once you’ve reviewed your social media, it’s time to ask yourself a tough question:

Am I turning away potential clients or upsetting existing clients with my posts?

Would you want to do business with this person or company? If you’d hesitate for even a moment, it’s time to revamp your “brand.”

We’ll dive into how to identify your brand boundaries next week. For now, let’s focus on how to post responsibly.

How to Stay Active on Social Media Without Damaging Your Brand

While it may be tempting, in a fit of anger, to jump online and angry-type a scathing post calling out whoever has (supposedly) wronged you – that type of behavior will have ramifications.

Maybe you’ve heard the old construction adage, “Measure twice, cut once.” When it comes to your brand, you must think twice and post once. Anything that enters the interweb stays on the interweb, and you don’t want to do anything that will damage your (or your company’s) reputation.

Here are a few tips to help you post responsibly:

1. Take a breather. If you’re angry, allow yourself to calm down before posting anything or responding to anything.
2. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. You may know precisely what you mean and that you mean no harm. However, how would an outsider view what you are about to share?
3. Consider the possible outcomes. Everything we do in this world causes ripples. Some are big and immediate, while others are subtle and may not show up for years. Consider how your post may impact how the world sees you now and in the future.
4. If you are going to speak out about something, make sure it’s a hill you are willing to die on. Especially in our highly-charged political climate, you WILL lose customers and even friends based on your views. If you’re okay with that, post away. If you’d rather not alienate a large percentage of people, maybe leave these discussions to dinners with friends.
5. Control what happens on your page. Your social media is your platform. You are responsible for what you post, but you are also responsible for what you allow others to post there. If people are getting rowdy, disrespectful, or outright offensive, shut it down. Remove their access, close down comments, and move the conversation elsewhere (if you want to have it). You are not required to host a breeding ground for hate.

Whether you do all posts yourself or you are ready to hire a team to assist you with your business’s communications, understanding and communicating what is and is not acceptable is essential to keeping your brand intact.

Conclusion

Your brand is your reputation. It’s what people say about you when you’re not in the room. And, your brand boundaries are something you must set and protect.

About Sheryl Green

Sheryl Green is a Mental Health speaker, author, and the “How to Say No” Expert. She works with individuals and organizations to establish healthy boundaries to improve relationships, communication, and well-being. Her mission is to make the world a better place… one boundary at a time. Learn more about her entertaining and illuminating programs or contact her at 702.885.4309.

Get her How to Say No cheat sheet.