You are already fascinating. That’s a fact.
But, are you allowing your natural, authentic personality to shine through on social media? Hmm. Maybe not. A lot of fascinating people have extraordinarily boring blogs, tweets, and YouTube videos. (Yawn.)
The world doesn’t need another Facebook update. It needs YOU.
It may seem difficult to stand out in an incessant stream of social media blurb and blah, but it’s actually quite easy.
How can you infuse more of your personality into your social media?
Excellent question. Read on.
1. Write in your voice
Don’t try to be someone else. When people read your tweets or Google+ updates, they should hear your voice. Are you streetwise or dignified? Are you an erudite expert or a natural story teller? Do you fascinate with emotion or with facts and figures?
Whether you’re thoughtful or impulsive, brash or restrained, it doesn’t matter. We all fascinate in our own way. Think about how you talk, and write the same way.
Your social media messages should communicate the best of you.
You don’t have to LEARN how to be fascinating. You are already fascinating. You just need to express your natural personality.
2. Serious is okay. Boring is not.
You don’t have to be witty, irreverent, or eccentric to stand out. If you are, that’s fine. Let your rebellious spirit shine through. But if you aren’t, that’s perfectly fine, too.
Gravitas also lends a compelling tone. An understated, serious style of communicating can be as fascinating as the jokes of a stand-up comedian. Just be careful you don’t take yourself so seriously that you turn into a dusty professor who reminds people of stuffy labs, stilted lectures, dodos and dinosaurs.
Don’t become long-winded; but do bring something fresh to the discussion.
Remember…
Serious is okay. Boring is not.
3. Evoke a response
Lame social media messages can damage your personal brand. People stop valuing your updates. They start thinking you have nothing useful to say.
Find the areas in your industry that are most likely to provoke a response, and then build messages around it.
Of course, the goal is not to pick a fight. It’s okay to be contrarian, but remember it’s a public forum. (But you know that already, right?)
If you’re too cautious to spark a discussion on social media, stick to buying traditional advertising instead.
4. Know when to listen
Before you jump into a direct conversation with a prime prospect, get to know their interaction style, the type of language they use, and what topics are close to their heart.
By carefully observing, you can craft your own messages to be in sync with their tone and manner. You can also learn what the best time to start a conversation is.
Observe people’s online style, and you can quickly learn how to fascinate them.
5. Bring something new to the discussion
Don’t just mindlessly re-share other people’s posts. Instead, give your opinion, add something useful, and bring fresh thinking.
Draw upon your experience, your knowledge, and skills and share it with others. Retweeting is a nice compliment. But try to add a personal remark to tell people why you like a tweet.
Earn the attention of your audience by adding distinct value to the conversation.
6. Ask great questions
Explore a controversial, fun, or serious topic by asking polarizing or insightful questions. Bring a debate to life with rousing explorations. You don’t have to be provocative to provoke a discussion.
My questions range from “Who do you find more fascinating: Celebrities, or your own family members?” to “What brands inspire an instant love-it-or-hate-it response for you?”
In social media, great questions can be more fascinating than great answers.
7. Add more YOU to your messages
The best way to distinguish your social media presence is to infuse your messages with more of your own distinct personality.
Your personality provides a subtle force of attraction that pulls followers and connections closer to you. Your personality adds flavor, depth, and nuance to your updates. Your personality is what makes you fascinating.
Be more you. Be the you-est you.
Use the triggers that suit your personality most:
Once people can relate to your personality, you’ll get noticed. Your updates will be liked and retweeted. Your following will grow, and you’ll become better connected and more influential.
When you share fascinating content, you develop a dedicated network. You create fans who spread the word about you. And you create a higher chance of inspiring actions such as retweeting, commenting, and buying.
Sally Hogshead is an international Hall of Fame Speaker and the author of FASCINATE: “Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation. She has developed a scientifically-based system of influence, based on the brain’s hardwired patterns, and she has taught over 200,000 people how to use their natural strengths to become more persuasive.
