Once Again: Stay Out Of Politics For The Sake Of Your BusinessOctober 11th, 2018

I wrote a blog post a while back entitled Politics – Stay Out Of It!.

It was right after the 2016 election cycle and people on both sides of the political spectrum were divided like never before. I advised Business people to stay out of the fray. Because, everyone has their own opinions, and some you will not agree with. But for the most part, if you are a business you will do business with anyone who wants to pay you or buy your products. (Within reason of course, not speaking of hate groups or the like)

So now, I am bringing up the same topic again. We just had the most contentious Supreme Court hearings ever. Once again both sides are so divided. So again I am giving the same advice. In terms of your business website and social media accounts, stay out of politics.(Unless of course you are a political adviser, or commentator makes a living off of politics)

Succeeding in many businesses today means having a broad appeal. You want to take in as much business as possible. Can you imagine if Amazon before they would allow you to purchase asked what your political views were? Of course they wouldn’t, and this of course is a silly example. At the same time, the point is valid, get business from everyone you can, and maximize your profits. This of course is simple economics, but it is something that can be affected by something as simple as a post which many of your potential customers/clients find offensive. The last thing your business needs is to be boycotted.

Personally, I even advised clients to stay out of the fray on their personal social media accounts. The reason is simple, a lot of times you get referrals and recommendations from friends & contacts on social media. Now if you alienate people, you are probably eliminating half your referral sources, at least among your friends and contacts.

BOTTOM LINE

Social media has allowed people to spread their views far and wide. It Is one of the truly great things about being an American with free-speech. But that isn’t what this post is about. I am taking a look strictly from a business standpoint. So yes, while you’ll certainly have a right to let your feelings be known, as a small business it certainly isn’t advisable and not a great marketing strategy.

Social Media Tip: Write things downJanuary 10th, 2014

We all struggle with what to post on our various social media pages right? Whether you bulk schedule your posts, or try and manually post each day or on a regular basis, it can be hard to think of valuable things to post. Let me tell you about a simple thing you can do to always have posts at the ready.

Write things down.

I know, brilliant right?

Pencils_hb I keep a spreadsheet open and when I think of something I feel my audience will profit from, I add the post to my list. If I am away from the office, on my iPhone & iPad, I use the evernote app to write down these pearls of wisdom. In my job I am on the web all day, and things I see spark interest. The synapses get rocking and I come up with a post which will benefit my readers. I add things almost every day and the result is oodles of quality content suitable for social media posts.

Now if you are wondering more about the content of your social media posts, I refer you back to one of my favorite blog posts, The Power of SME (Subject Matter Expert). I always advocate posting things that portray you as a subject matter expert or thought leader.

Update: 7/9/23

Writing down your thoughts for social media posts as they come into your mind holds immense value for future use. In today’s fast-paced world, ideas and inspiration can fleetingly pass through our minds, and if left unrecorded, they may be forgotten or diluted over time. By capturing these fleeting thoughts in writing, we preserve the authenticity and freshness of our ideas, ensuring their potency when we eventually share them with others. Additionally, having a collection of prewritten ideas grants us a valuable resource to draw from, particularly during moments of creative drought or time constraints. It allows us to maintain a consistent and engaging online presence, effortlessly providing us with a bank of content that aligns with our interests and values. Therefore, by documenting our thoughts for social media posts, we empower ourselves with a reservoir of inspiration and ensure the continued quality and impact of our online interactions.

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