Could your “about section” in your social media profile be holding you back from connecting authentically with people?

Right now, many of us are making friends or connecting online. At the same time, many well-meaning, smart people are making big mistakes in their about section. 

Why does this matter? If you don’t know what you are “about” then how will people you are trying to connect with know who you are?

People connect with things they can grab and hold on to… so here are 4 of the biggest mistakes that prevent this from happening:

  1. Leaving the about section blank. I did this for many years. It’s just… nothing.
  2. Putting your mission. If it were me, this would mean something like “If you need to sell to feed your family, Emerge is here to help you.” The problem is that is a business profile, not a personal profile. You are more than your business. It’s also vague.
  3. Using stylish phrases or emojis to be “cute.” If a 4th grader can’t understand your about section, it’s too confusing. For example, using a taco emoji instead of the word. It’s small on mobile and makes my brain work harder. Putting the word and the emoji now becomes supportive.
  4. Making your “about” about your relationships. Like, wife, mother, friend. Those things show up in other places in your profile. But if you are “about” being a mother, and I’m not your child, then I am accidentally excluded. Oops! This actually points to a bigger issue of us trying to hide behind our relationships, I’ll touch on this a little later in more depth.

If you are thinking, ok great Tasha. You are so mean you just told me everything not to do. Don’t worry! I won’t leave you hanging.

Here is the easiest format that I recommend so people can connect with you. 

Entrepreneur | Lover of [favorite food], [hobby], [place] and helping people with [problem your business solves]. 

When I think of the about section, I think about the movie Runaway Bride. Richard Gere is interviewing all of Julia Roberts’ ex-fiances. He asks, “how does she like her eggs?” Each man responds, “just like I do.” There is this scene where Julia’s character tries every type of egg to see which one she really likes. She forgot who she was along the way. She had wrapped up her identity in relationships.

When my coach worked with me on my identity, I immediately went to “mother, wife, friend” but then checked myself. Those are relationships, not who I am, or what I like. If we base our identity in our title, relationship, rank, etc we have likely lost our way just a little. And if we don’t know us, how will others know us.

Focusing on simple things like a favorite food, hobby, place, and the problem you solve gives you a simple insight so you know what to post about. It also signals to people you are connecting with how to remember you. 

If your ego starts freaking out a little, that’s pretty normal. There is what we WANT to be known for, and what we are actually known for. Interestingly enough, this “about section” isn’t about us, it’s about connecting with others. Every once in a while I rage at my business coach- I have a genius level IQ and people only know me because I like tacos!?!!? That’s so frustrating- can’t they see how brilliant I am? That is so much more about me feeling like I need to have an increased status and being “awesome” than it is about being relatable. 

I recently received a friend request from someone who LOVES hockey. It was really easy for me to accept the request, and strike up a quick conversation. Within minutes, I learned she was a bartender, loves hockey, and tacos. We became best friends. 

One of my newer clients put on her about section, “collects shark teeth.” I will never forget that. It’s really cool, different and when I’m traveling I know I will run across something that will make me think of her. Then she stays top of mind which will improve her business. 

As I have been working with people on this section, it’s really amazing how such a simple exercise can remove so many confidence issues, blocks, and discomfort with showing up authentically.

One client in my mastermind only received 4 comments in a whole week. I worked with her a little (ok a lot) on her about section. And she started posting in alignment with “who she was.” Her engagement went through the roof! 132 comments in 6 days and here is what she said: I had many friends comment who have never commented on my posts before. Nice to see that they are listening or watching me! I had setup post before the week but went back to tweak them before it posted. I was posting from my heart. I tried not to over think things.

Update your about section using the formula in this podcast and let me know how it goes!

Tasha

P.S. If you are ready to create the next breakthrough in your business then book a free call with us. During this call we will chat through your goals, your current situation, identify the #1 obstacle that is holding you back, and give you a 3-step action plan. At the end, you will feel clear and confident about your business moving forward. This call will take about 30 minutes. If you want us to work with you to implement the plan, great! We will share how that works and get you set up so you can gain quick momentum. If not, no big deal we want to make sure you have clarity no matter what. Fill out the brief questionnaire so we can schedule with you HERE

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