1. Envy: Trying to make people jealous of you by flaunting status symbols.
Wow, you look great in that designer dress, in that luxury car with your super model boyfriend. And what is that? #nomakeup, #nofilter? You need to make sure everyone knows how perfect you are by showing off how much stuff you have. They’ll be so jealous.
There’s no need to portray yourself in a way designed to make other people jealous. Social media is about putting your best foot forward. Go ahead and make yourself look good, but envy is no way to make friends or gain customers.
2. Greed: Updating too frequently
Thank you so much for live tweeting your dentist appointment. I’m on the edge of my seat waiting to hear what flavor you chose for your fluoride treatment.
Frequent posting is good. It lets your friends, followers, and fans stay updated on what’s going on in your world. Over-posting is bad. When your posts are more than 50% of a fan’s newsfeed, it is time to slow down. Your life and business is interesting, and will be more meaningful to others in smaller doses.
3. Sloth: Not updating at all
I totally forgot I was following you. I thought maybe you deleted your account or something. Then one day, out of the blue, you post a picture of your dog in a Christmas sweater. Your last post was of that awesome convention you went to… in 2009.
Posting too little is just as bad as posting too much. Chances are, people follow you to keep tabs on what’s going on in your life or company. Your page is a representation of that! Let your followers know what you’ve been up to. Keep the image you present current.
4. Gluttony: Only posting about of your meals
Yum. Escargot. Goat Cheese Salad. McDonald’s happy meal. Some people can’t even remember what they had for breakfast this morning. This isn’t a problem for you, because you have a yearlong online file dedicated to everything that goes into your digestive system.
Unless you’re a food blogger, change up your content. Let your followers get to know you for who you are, not what you eat. The occasional meal pic is fine. That’s a part of you; just make sure it’s not all of you. This is even true for restaurant owners.
5. Wrath: Lashing back at “haters”
They posted something mean on your page. There’s only one way to get back at them: yell. Write in all caps and cuss out anyone and their mothers who get in your way. How dare they speak badly of you?
In times like these, it’s especially important to keep your cool. Stay positive. Fighting back will only put you in a bad light and egg on whatever “hater” started this mess. Respond calmly, and try to remedy the problem, so not exacerbate it.
6. Lust: An extensive collection of half-naked selfies
Hey look at your muscles. Hey look at your butt. As casual as you try to make this photo appear, we all know what you’re going for. You’re broadcasting “Hey everyone, I’m single.” And if you’re not… well that’s a different story.
Some things are for sharing. Half naked pictures typically aren’t one of them. Promote a professional image of yourself by keeping these pictures to yourself (or at most your significant other).
7. Pride: Only posting about your kid.
Look at your kid. Isn’t he just the cutest/funniest/smartest/coolest little thing to ever pop into existence? Shouldn’t the world get to look at every single thing he does?
Whether or not you have kids of your own, you probably have at least one Facebook friend who just had one. As soon as their kid came into the world, that was the end of their page being about them. Now everyone’s newsfeed is littered with photos of your baby. It’s wonderful for you to take pride in your kid (and you should be proud) but remember, your social media pages are a representation of you. Don’t lose yourself to your kid.
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