I’m a big Minnesota Timberwolves fan and have been since their inaugural season in 1989. However, in 1989 we didn’t have things like Twitter to keep up with players. Maybe that was a good thing in regards to some athletes and their bad habits, but these days I enjoy following my favorite players like Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio.
Earlier this week, Ricky tweeted out the above picture of a sleeping Michael Beasley which was taken during the team’s flight to Denver. It made me laugh but it also made me relate to these players a little bit. This is exactly something I’d do to one of my brothers or one of my friends. It helped me realize that yeah, these guys have millions of dollars and a huge amount of athletic talent, but they also like to do things that I enjoy. This might give me something to help start a conversation with Ricky should I ever run into him. Hey, it could happen! (Ricky if you need some help with a new website just let me know)
I bring this up because this demonstrates something you can incorporate into your blogging or social media approach: Don’t be afraid to get a little personal with your network. No, don’t post anything inappropriate or gross, but maybe use stories about your childhood, hobbies, or family to demonstrate a point. It helps people relate to you and can help you create a connection that might not have been made otherwise. It’s much easier to strike up a conversation with someone we relate to. That can help you establish a solid foundation with potential and existing customers.
As for me personally, I share photos of my family on my Lift Development Facebook page once in a while. I’ll tweet and blog about books I’m reading or share photos of side projects. I do mix work and play quite a bit but I think that gives people a sense of who I am and what my priorities are. It helps us relate to one another as I also like to hear personal stories from my clients.
Don’t go overboard and leave out professionalism, but tidbits about you on a personal level can go a long way. Bloggers like Michael Hyatt and Chris Brogan do an excellent job of mixing in a bit of personal stories in with their posts.
Oh, and go Timberwolves!
About Dave Yankowiak
Glad to find you here Dave. I made the switch to a new platform that I created myself with a little technical help from my friend. I was really curious how this web development stuff worked. Glad to read what you are up to…keeping in real in the blogosphere.
Super awesome, Patty! I see that you are using the Prose theme for Genesis – that’s a great one for the DIY website/blog.
Yes, I have dusted off the ole blog. Finally. :)