Are you an oversharing on social media? Have you ever found yourself saying, “Oh no, I shouldn’t have posted that!”. Or what about, “It was stupid of me to share that!”. Don’t worry, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are an oversharer. It just means that you didn’t check your post before you shared it.
Who is an oversharer on social media?
So glad you ask because oversharing on social media happens when you feel that every single thing you do has to go on social media. Guess what, it doesn’t have to go on social media. Yes it’s OK to share some person information but do we need to really know that you are…
- Tweeting from the bathroom
- Selfies all day long
- Pictures of bowel movements
- Questionable “sexy posed” pictures
No it’s not necessary and if you do this, maybe it’s time for an intervention.
How can I stop oversharing on social media?
So you want to know what how to stop oversharing on social media? Then let’s take a look at a few things that could help you. Double check your post before sharing on social media. When you take the time to check your content in the post, it can mean the difference between embarrassment or not. Delay sending any messages that you feel will cause your to overshare, then don’t share. It’s much better to be safe than sorry. Monitor your sharing by using extensions or apps that will not automatically share what you post. That will give you time to think about a post before you send it. To help you, I thought that I would share a couple apps with you:
- BufferApp: According to Buffer website, it makes your life easier with a smarter way to schedule the great content you find. Fill up your Buffer at one time in the day and Buffer automagically posts them for you through the day. Simply keep that Buffer topped up to have a consistent social media presence all day round, all week long. Custom scheduling, multiple accounts, team member access and detailed analytics make Buffer the go-to social media management tool for more than 1.2 million users around the world.
- Hootsuite: HootSuite website shares that their software is a social media management system for businesses and organizations to collaboratively execute campaigns across multiple social networks from one secure, web-based dashboard. Launch marketing campaigns, identify and grow audiences, and distribute targeted messages using HootSuite’s unique social media dashboard. Streamline team workflow with scheduling and assignment tools and reach audiences with geo-targeting functionality. Invite multiple collaborators to manage social networks securely, plus provide custom reports using the comprehensive social analytics tools for measurement. Key social network integrations include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and new Google+ Pages, plus a suite of social content apps for YouTube, Flickr, Tumblr and more.
What are the effects of oversharing on social media?
Many times, current news has reported when social media meltdowns occurred due to oversharing on social media. What does a meltdown look like? A meltdown is when someone has overshared negative or damaging information on social media that causes a major backlash from the online community. Here are a couple of social media meltdown:
- Justine Sacco was a PR Executive who chose to make damaging comments about topics such as: Africa, AID, being white. See her statement below. It upset people worldwide and she ended up having a trending hashtag: #HasJustineLandedYet. She had just tweeted before taking off on a flight to Africa which is where she grew up. Social media was blowing up with negative messages the entire time she was in flight. By the time she had landed, not only had she caused a meltdown, she had lost her job and reputation. Here’s where you can read about the full story: ‘Ashamed’: Ex-PR exec Justine Sacco apologizes for AIDS in Africa tweet
- Our beloved Applebee’s which is a favorite bar and grill had a social media meltdown when an employee decided to share a picture of a receipt. The unique thing about this receipt is that a customer had crossed out automatic 18% tip for parties of 8 or more. Then the customer wrote, “I give God 10% why do you get 18,” she wrote above her signature on the receipt. Yes this is a sad situation that was made worse when a fellow employee of the waiter who received this message shared it on the website Reddit. Well it went viral and the employee who shared it, was fired. Applebee’s then shared the comment below on Facebook. Click here to read the full story: Applebee’s Overnight Social Media Meltdown: A Photo Essay.
What is the logical and practical solution to oversharing on social media? Don’t do it! Keep monitoring yourself and choose to share what you feel will help you engage with your family, friends, peers and yes even your target customers. Learning more about your social media personality can help you also. Want tips about engaging on social media? Then click here.
Read more: The Problem with Oversharing on Social Media