Why I Combined All Personal & Business Social Media Accounts
When I first started my business, I was very adament about keeping my business life and personal life separate. I think it came from working in corporate offices for a few years where you kept your professional life...well, professional, and your personal life...private. You just didn't mix the two.
After a while, it became cumbersome to have two and I decided to close my personal accounts and focus on my business accounts. It was one of the best decisions I ever made, and here's why.
Too much wasted energy. I spent a ton of brain power trying to figure out how to keep up with two accounts for Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. It was hard! What do I post on my personal? What do I post on my business?
The lines blurred. The deeper into the business I got, the more blurred the lines between business and personal got. I ended up posting the same thing in two places sometimes, so then I felt bad for my friends who followed both accounts.
Branding & business is personal. My business is more than just a business. It's my passion. And I want people to know who I am behind the business. Small businesses aren't just 'businesses' anymore. They hold so much more and have more stories to tell. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes, and people who are involved that it would be sad not to include that.
Friends & Business DO mix. I want my friends to be my clients, and I want my clients to be my friends. Before I combined the two, most of my friends really didn't know what I did. No one really did, because I didn't share my work personally. I didn't want to bother people with it. But now, I love it when people I know and love come to me for things. It is so much providing paper goods or design services to those that I care about.
I didn't want to be a salesman. I always felt 'Sales-y' when I did share posts about my work in my personal accounts. But the truth is, I'm not being 'sales-y' by sharing my work; I'm being passionate about it, and want to share that passion with others. And as small business owners, don't we all have to be a little 'sales-y'? If we don't believe or share our work, who else will?
I want to know my clients. My clients aren't just 'clients' to me. They become friends. And how silly would it be if they didn't know anything about me? I want them to know who I am, what Twila means to me, and why they can trust me to take care of their business or event by being more transparent with my life.
xoxo, Johnna