Where's The Line Between Personal and Private on Social Media?

I’m a people-person, always have been, and I believe that being an authentic person is what makes this business function. Expressing ourselves and the lives of characters is what we do. Still, many actors I know limit themselves online by thinking of their career before their human-ness. It turns into a constant overshare of professional “wins” and monotonous information, and not enough personal connection.

It can feel scary to show your vulnerability, especially publicly. However, if you don't allow yourself to be seen, how can you expect to become known? (If you’re scared of being vulnerable, a little Brené Brown can go a long way.) The key is to strike a balance in the content you're sharing between protecting your privacy, supporting others, and sharing your human-ness.

The general rule: 80/20 PRINCIPLE! 80 PERCENT OF YOUR CONTENT SHOULD BE PERSONAL (NOT PRIVATE).

What’s the difference between personal and private?

PERSONAL is something that is specific to a personality. Something that is funny, beautiful, interesting, or important.

PRIVATE is something that others would feel grossed out by, disturbed, or could be harmful to others emotionally.

How do you know if something should be considered private?

You question whether or not you should click on the POST button after you’ve written it, that's how.

Certainly we’ve all done it: we type up some snarky or sarcastic post and then questioned whether or not to make it public. If you ever question it, don’t post it. SAVE THE POST for 24 hours to think about it.

It’s important to not be impulsive, because the way you do anything is the way you do everything. You are building relationships in the business even when you aren’t in a room with people, and the energy you project out into the world is the energy you will get back. And we all want positive energy coming our way.

If you're a newbie to social media, or you need some management tips, I try to post one thing a day, and only 2 out of 7 of my posts will have something to do with my acting career. It may sound silly when you want people to know about your acting skills, but people are investing in YOU on social media.

YOU ARE MORE THAN WHAT YOU DO, and being vulnerable is vital to letting them see who you are.

A challenge for you this week

Make one PERSONAL post that scares you a little. Tell people something about you that they may not know, and be willing to tell them you are scared. Even better, create a post that encourages others to do the same!

Be sure to tag me in in your post, so I can read, like and comment on my support! (@bretshuford on Facebook & Instagram and @bretshuford on Twitter)

So come and join the BroadwayLife Community Facebook group, that's where all of us meet to help instill new habits. We talk about new habits, good ones. We create ways for all of us to continue to move forward as leaders in whatever respected industry we go. Join us here at BroadwayLife Community Facebook Group if you need help committing to your decisions and meet our community of artists that are more than willing to listen and lend a hand.

PS. If you’re looking for even more FREE information visit my YouTube channel, Bret Shuford subscribe and don’t forget to click on the notifications button so you don’t miss my weekly videos.