How many of you are chronic Social Media sharers? I mean, the type who likes & shares just about anything – your favorite cat pictures, articles, memes, jokes, videos, etc.

Technology has made it easier to share updates with our connections & networks with a single click.

In this post, I want to cover the importance of Sharing relevant & industry-related content. We are talking about Personal Branding here – the type of content that will make you look like a superstar.

Here are some reasons why Social Media Sharing is important:

1. Knowledge

There is a good chance you will only share relevant content that you think will resonate with your audience & connections.

This forces you to seek out knowledge in your field. You are not randomly sharing cat pictures – you are sharing the latest happenings in your field. You are sharing what you think your network will find useful and interesting. Right?

As a result, you end up spending more time reading and researching key news. As a result, your knowledge grows. And the more knowledgable you become, the more passionate you become about your field & career; the more your productivity improves; and your results. The more your results improve – the more successful you become.

2. Strategic Networking

We are bombarded with information from multiple angles each and every day. At times, it becomes overwhelming and it becomes hard to filter out what is important and/or relevant.

I have found out, that I am more likely to follow or connect with individuals or websites – that I can get value or learn something new. When I share strategically, it forces me to seek and share only information that is aligned with my personal brand. I am able to uncover sources I would have never known otherwise.

Also, people in my field (whom I would have never known or met) start reaching out to me, connecting with me on Social Media. I am thus growing my Professional Network in a meaningful and strategic way.

I am reaching the right audience, and I am following the right influencers.

3. Authority

Recently, a colleague of mine had just looked at my LinkedIn profile. She asked me if I was an expert in Technology or if I was very Technical. I share daily Technology news and updates on my LinkedIn & Twitter profile.

Her comment caught me off-guard. Yes, it was nice to be considered an authority or very knowledgable. But the reality is much different. I am a newbie (in Selling Technology products/solutions), I am not an expert. But I am very passionate about how technology is empowering companies & people and makes things more efficient. I share articles on a daily basis because I like to stay abreast of what is happening in the Tech world. However, when others look at my constant activity – they see as if I am very knowledgable or even an expert in the Tech world.

This is important when you are positioning yourself. Your prospective employer, recruiter, or even customers want to deal with someone with credibility.

And that is where, Sharing on Social Media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook) is key. It enhances your personal brand – it establishes yourself as someone with credibility and/or authority in your field.

I think I have given you some reasons to think about your Personal Branding, and also to incorporate the habit of sharing regularly (relevant industry content).

Tips to Have a Great Social Media Strategy

Let’s look at some ideas on how to do it.

1. Define your Persona. Decide the type of image you want to project to your audience (prospects, customers, your network).

For example, if you sell Technology solutions or products, it would be helpful if you come across as someone who is knowledgable or experienced in your field. So, start sharing Tech news on a consistent basis.

If you are a recent Social Media graduate (and aspire to work in Social Media Marketing) – share news on that subject on a consistent basis.

2. Schedule your updates/shares in a timely manner. I choose regular business hours from 9 am to 5 pm to share my updates because that is where my target audience is. And I constantly post during that time. If you learn that your audience browses the internet only in the evenings and weekends – share your updates at those times.

3. Planning – Use Alerts and bookmarking tools (Google Alerts, RSS Feeds, Feedly, etc.) to search for content and collect information. Let technology do the work for you. I don’t prefer spending too much time each day on this – it can become time-consuming. And it could take away from your other key job functions. So, set up alerts to search for the news that would fit your persona.

4. Automate – I recommend tools such as Buffer, where you can time & schedule your updates. You can schedule multiple articles over multiple profiles, and let Buffer do the job for you. I usually time about 8 updates (one for each hour) on Buffer the previous night or early morning; and then I get on with my day. Buffer makes sure my articles are published on multiple social media profiles on an hourly basis.

I have been constantly sharing updates on my social media profiles for a few months. I have seen numerous benefits – job offers, sales opportunities, networking opportunities, etc.

It will take some time daily to search, schedule, and share content. However, the results are totally worth it.

I encourage you to incorporate Social Sharing to help enhance your Personal Branding. Your network and reach will grow many folds.

What are your thoughts?

Do you have examples where your social sharing efforts have paid off?