My Proven Social Media Tips
Here is a summary of each principle; click the principles themselves to see a more substantive explanation:
Serve, don’t sell. Everything you share on social media and every time you reach out to others should offer a benefit to whomever is on the receiving end.
One message at a time. Whether I am writing an article, pitching a new ghostwriting client, or trying to offer my kids advice, I always follow a simple rule: one message at a time.
Thou shall not brag. The more you talk about your own achievements, the harder it is for other people to relate to you.
Ask great questions. Simply sharing your “wisdom” gets old, but sharing insightful questions helps people solve their own problems.
Be human, not perfect. Be true to your own self in how you communicate. Share a genuine picture of who you are and what you stand for.
Lead with a hook, and pay it off. Your hook grabs attention and promises a benefit. Once you have that attention, you need to deliver that benefit.
Give away good ideas. If you are tempted to hide your best ideas behind some sort of a paywall, resist that temptation. Put your best ideas out there for all to see.
Promote others. Executive career coach and New York Times bestselling author, Bonita Thompson advises that you partner with other individuals whose work complements your own. Promote their project and ask them to promote yours; this is a much better alternative than self-promotion.
Expand your swim lane. It pays to be known for something specific. But if you repeat the same messages too often, you will get bored and so will others. So after you master one skill, learn another skill on the side, until people are willing to pay you to share that one, too.
Be clear and truthful. The clearer you are at saying what you want, the more likely you are to get it.