Having an online presence is now a regular part of life, especially for entrepreneurs. Even casual internet users have social media profiles where they are friends with people they barely know in real life. Many bloggers and vloggers have thousands of followers across multiple platforms. Social media allows us to share everything. People read blogs in digital magazines, and newspapers Readers form a relationship with bloggers and vice versa. The more comfortable the bloggers become, the more likely it is that they will share details about their lives that they never thought that they would. It’s fair to say that bloggers need to share some of themselves to be able to connect with their followers, but, do they need to share it all? Have you ever wondered if you are oversharing? Let’s take a look at the signs and learn how to be relatable, while still maintaining a level of privacy.

Four Simple Social Media Precautions

Do You Use Your Children’s Full Names?

Many bloggers have kids; mommy blogging is one of the fastest growing niches out there. These bloggers seem to fall into two camps. Those that refer to their children with a nickname or initial, never using their full names and never showing their faces in photographs, and those that share everything about their children.

Perhaps finding a middle ground is the answer. As a parent, it’s important to respect your children’s privacy, too. Little ones may not be old enough to interject, but just imagine if your child 10 y.o. discovered that you were sharing things about them that they didn’t want the public to know. Would you be able to delete everything without causing a stir with your followers? Sharing photos and first names might not only pose a danger to your child, but it also violates the privacy that they will demand one day

Do You Share Your Address?

A big part of blogging is growing your email list. It’s a great way to keep people coming back so that you don’t have to find new readers all of the time. It’s also a great way to share more, keep people interested and offer them special deals. But, email services require an address. In most countries, this is a legal requirement. But, if you use your home address, it will be at the bottom of every email you send. Do you want all of your subscribers knowing your home address? Probably not. One alternative is to have a P.O. box or a service like physicaladdress.com to maintain your privacy.

Do You Tell Your Followers More Than Your Friends?

Before social media became such an enormous part of our lives, when something big happened to us we rushed off to see our friends, to tell them about our important news. Then, we started texting them instead, but we were still sharing our life with our friends and family first. Nowadays, many people post a picture of their engagement ring before they even tell their mom. Does this sound like anyone you may now? Remember what and who is important and real.

Do You Share Things That You Wouldn’t Normally Say?

There are countless stories out there about people losing their jobs because they have criticized their managers or companies online. Engaging in reckless behavior not realizing that everyone could see it. If you share things on social media that you wouldn’t be willing to say to people in real life, it’s probably time to start checking yourself. Remember, once a tweet is out, anyone can find it.

Social media has allowed many people to come out of their shell and to become more sociable than they would be otherwise. However, it is imperative that we remember that everything about our lives is not everybody and anybody’s business.

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