Note: Manage your social media how you want, but take these things into consideration if you are serious about turning your hobby into a business. This is just my personal opinion.
I cringe when I see “professional” breeders word vomit drama all over their “business” accounts.
You scroll on social media thinking you're going to see photos of reptiles or find a deal on a new gecko. To your dismay, you end up reading a rant about how someone needs to be canceled or a post with way too much information about his or her personal life. It's the kind of post that makes you question the type of account you're following.
Social media is a powerful tool. When used correctly, it's a great way to network, establish relationships and build community.
But business accounts are not diaries.
That's why it's important to use social media strategically and responsibly, especially when it comes to managing a business around animals. If you are serious about turning your reptile hobby into business, here's why you should avoid posting gossip, controversial topics and personal information.
It Can Damage Your Brand Image And The Reputation Of Others
Do you want your brand image to be known as the town crier, flapping everyone’s dirty laundry to the wind? Or, do you want your brand image to be known as a safe place, where people feel like they can grow and be themselves without criticism? Do you want your business to focus on tearing others down or building others up?
Have you ever heard of the phrase “if they are talking bad to you, they are talking bad about you?” The same principle goes for your business!
Posting gossip and publicly calling people out can create a negative perception of your business, making it difficult for your audience to take you seriously. It can also lead to a loss of trust among your current followers and damage future relationships.
As a breeder, your platform should be focused on your animals, not about the people around you. If your platform focuses more on destroying others than managing your animals, you do not have a business account–you have a gossip column.
There is enough negativity and complainers out there, and no one wants to be around that voluntarily. It's a total vibe kill…And follower kill.
If you feel there is a dire need to post something about someone that might stir drama, take a deep breath before you do anything. Anger and frustration often make us look like idiots when we post too quickly. Your voice has power, no matter who you are. You can easily tarnish someone’s name and reputation if you speak too hastily or aggressively, especially if you do not have all the facts and details.
If you have an issue with someone, privately reach out to the individual first. If they ignore you, then consider making the issue public, and keep it professional. You can also choose to mind your own business and not say anything at all. Not everything requires a public statement! Again, choose what you post carefully because posting too many “exposing” posts can damage more than your reputation. You can ruin someone else's business too.
If your issues are about scammers and chargebacks that could harm other businesses, that is something worth making public because you are helping other businesses. Posting about the need to cancel a breeder over pool noodles in their enclosure or feeding live insects three times a week is unnecessary and petty.
Before you post about someone, take a deep breath and ask yourself: Do I want my brand image to be associated with gossip? Is this situation truly important to post about?
You Can Alienate Your Audience
The goal of a business account is to build a following in your niche and retain those followers. When you stray from your area of focus to become a keyboard warrior and political expert, what do you think will happen? You will create unnecessary arguments and alienation.
Talking about the latest society issue in the country on your business platform will hurt your business because at that point you're treating your business account like a personal account. I know you don’t want to hear that, but it’s true. People are following you for your animal related posts, not how you feel about a certain topic. Although everyone should have the right to have free speech and be respected, that’s simply not the society we live in anymore. Dividing your followers over topics that have nothing to do with animals will ultimately alienate your audience.
Maybe that’s what you want. Maybe you desire to only work with breeders and customers that have the same exact views as you and you want to weed out any followers that don’t agree with you. If that’s your goal, then that’s your goal.
However, holding your tongue and avoiding topics that have nothing to do with your business will be a huge key factor in retaining followers. The businesses that stick with posting in their niche and staying neutral are usually the businesses that grow the largest because they focus on uniting, not alienating.
Before you post controversial topics, take a deep breath and ask yourself: Do I want my brand image to be associated with this? Will causing potential arguments and evoking anger benefit my business?
You Can Lose Complete Control
Once your personal details are shared on social media, you instantly lose control. Those words don’t belong to you anymore and you will never be able to take them back. In fact, there are probably endless screenshots of your posts circulating from camera roll to camera roll.
There is nothing wrong with posting some personal content because as a breeder you are the face of your business. However, there is a fine line with posting too much about your personal life. Your business platform is not your personal diary. It's not the place to vent about your problems, talk about your employees, discuss the people you have issues with, and expose your future business plans. Not everything about your life needs to be publicly documented because not everyone is a friend.
Read that again: Not everyone is a friend.
Just because they follow you doesn’t mean they support your business or have your best interest in mind. There are wolves lurking in sheep’s clothing, who will take something you say out of context and run away with it. And there are some people who like to read your drama and personal details just to poke fun of it, turning it into entertainment.
This is one reason why you should avoid posting personal information as much as possible unless it pertains to your business specifically. The less you share, the more you will be able to control your life and business.
Before you post your personal details, take a deep breath and ask yourself: Do I want my brand image to be associated with my personal life? How will that affect my brand image?
Final Thoughts
We have all said things we shouldn’t have, misused our platforms, and made mistakes. Fortunately, it's never too late to do better. If you want to turn your hobby into a business, I hope you choose to take these things into consideration next time you post. At the end of the day, it's your social media and business. Make the decisions–or posts–that are best for you.
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