How Oversharing Ends Up Hurting You and Your Business

A 2019 survey conducted by consulting firm Label Insight found that 94% of customers are more likely to buy from businesses with transparent policies compared to those that are not transparent. This suggests that when it comes to successful online business and marketing, authenticity and transparency are essential components for consumer trust and engagement.

Storytelling and authenticity are key elements of successful online business and marketing. Being your true self is a powerful branding tactic, but it's important to know how much transparency is too much. Studies have shown that transparency can increase consumer trust and engagement, but there are certain boundaries that shouldn't be crossed. Even in this era of transparency, we should remain mindful about how oversharing ends up hurting because it can trigger negative experiences and turn people off for various reasons.

How Oversharing Ends Up Hurting

Transparency can be a great tool for building relationships with your audience, but it's important to be mindful of what and how much you share. Sharing personal or common experiences of struggles with personal, business, social, & health concerns is common online nowadays. However, there seems to have been a blurring of the boundary lines along the way.

In the US, tales of successful and unsuccessful marriages and relationships are frequently shared, but it can be considered excessive and inappropriate depending on the amount of details shared and who the audience is. Competing businesses can respectfully handle disputes, but honesty about every aspect of your life & business is unnecessary and may be seen as oversharing. With a little forethought and planning, you can keep certain aspects of your story private. Not everyone needs to know all your details if it has no relevance to the lessons you aim to connect on.

Check Your Social Media Profiles

When it comes to your social media sharing, it’s important to pay close attention to not only what you say, but who you’re saying it to. Using privacy settings, contact lists, and even limiting who you “friend” can help maintain your privacy while still being transparent about your business offerings. Don't be afraid to use filters – they were created for a reason.

Remember, Say It Forget It. Write It Regret It. The Internet is Forever.

A better way to keep your personal business away from prying eyes is to simply not post it at all. Oversharing ends up hurting in unexpected ways.

Think of every blog article, Tweet, Facebook status update & Instagram pic as a billboard. If you wouldn’t post it on the side of the highway for all who pass to read it, don’t put it online either.

The chance that it will “leak” (despite your best efforts) is great, and once it’s out there, you will not ever get it back. It's also important to consider that what you post online can have a lasting impact on your brand image.

The Rundown

Many tend to ignore how oversharing ends up hurting others because that was not the intent. The bottom line?

Know your audience and know yourself. If you’re not comfortable sharing certain aspects of your life and business, chances are they won’t be comfortable hearing about it, either. It’s okay to maintain some privacy, even in this transparent world of online marketing.

Being transparent can help establish trust and engagement with your audience, but it's crucial to not overstep certain boundaries. Be cautious about what you post online. Set limits & consider how oversharing ends up hurting readers instead of benefiting them.