This blog post was contributed by Erica Moss. Erica is the social media outreach coordinator for the online master of science in nursing program at Georgetown University, which has one of the nation’s leading family nurse practitioner programs. She adores photography, University of Michigan football and meeting new people. Follow Erica on Twitter @ericajmoss.
Sometimes social media can feel like an echo chamber, with so many voices and opinions volleying back and forth that it can seem like you’re talking to yourself. And thanks to a custom setting on your Facebook feed, you may be oblivious to the fact it’s possible you’ve been doing just that.
Have you noticed a lull in likes on your posts? Has that second cousin of yours that always comments on your links gone quiet? If so, it’s time to check this particular setting adjacent to the “Post” button when you update your profile.
Depending on what setting you have selected, you may only be sharing your updates with your high school friends, your work friends, or in some cases, one specific person, like, well… yourself, if you have the “Only Me” setting selected.
And while this is a highly effective way to customize your settings to include or exclude certain people or groups of people (maybe Mom doesn’t need to know about the party you’re throwing tonight), it can be frustrating if you discover you’ve been doing it unintentionally.
After sharing my own “oops” with my social networks (unbeknownst to me, I had mine set to “Only Me,”) at least three other people came forward and said they discovered the same issue. It made me feel a little bit better, but as someone who eats, sleeps and breathes social media, it was still a tad embarrassing.
My advice: Take 10 seconds right now to check yours and make sure you’re sharing content with the group you intended to. We won’t judge, I promise.
