Ooops
I’ve been noticing a lot of negativity online lately. A lot. And I don’t think people always realize how negative they are being. So we’ve got a little test for you to take.
I’m not always a Positive Patty, and I think that’s OK. Did your car die in the middle of a busy intersection at rush hour? That’s definitely status-update worthy, and it’s not going to be a very positive post.
Being somewhat negative every once in a while is OK — it makes you human. But when the majority of your updates are negative — about your life, your situations, judgmental toward others, celebrities or the lady in front of you at the checkout line, negative about world situations, or just about anything — you become the online Negative Nancy who gets “defriended,” “unliked” or “hidden” on Facebook, or “unlisted” or “unfollowed” on Twitter.
Annnnd, you become the boy/girl who cried wolf — so when you really do need support from your friends (which is one of the perks of social media) — don’t be surprised when it’s not there. (Did you have sympathy for the girl in your class the 20th time she “broke her leg?”)
You don’t want to be that guy (or girl), do you?
Even with the best intentions, you may not be portraying the image you desire on your social networks. So here’s a simple test: Look at your Facebook updates and/or tweets — the most recent 15 (or more if you’re an overachiever). Categorize them:
- Negative
- Example: When will anything ever go right for me?
- Positive
- Example: I love spending Sundays with my family.
- Boring/Pointless
- Example: I just ate an apple.
- News/Industry News
- Example: Interesting article about engagement analysis on social media: LINK
Now, you may have different categories that are more relevant to you, so feel free to veer from this list. Also, you could break them down even further, particularly if you have a lot in one category. For example, you may categorize 90 percent of your posts as “Positive,” but then discover that 70 percent of those were a little conceded and you sound arrogant.
It’s important for you to be aware of how you present yourself online — particularly if you use social media for business purposes. After all, isn’t the goal to create positive vibes around your brand, including your personal brand?
