Don’t Use Social Media for Nefarious Reasons
This one seems pretty simple, I mean everyone should know this, right.
Apparently not.
Do We Really Have to Remind People
We’re really not going to delve into any of the many notary scams running around right now. We’re just telling you to make sure you are not involved in one.
Remember, everything is saved. People take screenshots. The social media company preserves everything, even things you have deleted. They just don’t show publicly, but they are there. And this will come back to bite you in the future.
It may not be today or tomorrow, but it is coming.
Vet Who You Work With, and Let Others Know
Firstly, let your notary friends and clients know to keep an eye out for this stuff.
Before you friend someone, or reply to a direct message, ask yourself this. Does it sound too good to be true? Is there a way I can verify the veracity of this person?
If the answer is no, ignore or report it.
You don’t want to be following someone, or even liking a post, unless you know who and what you are dealing with.
And yes, this goes for your personal account as well. A lot of people can connect the company to the person. In effect, assume your personal posts are being watched as well.
Social Media Don’ts
- Don’t friend or follow anyone you don’t know.
- Don’t post anything that is a legal document. It may sound nice to post your signature, or a client’s. Don’t. If you do post your signature, make sure that is all it is (not a legal document). And make sure to identify it as such. We’d imagine we might see that more with new notaries, but experienced ones should be reminded as well.
- Don’t post anything political, even personally. There is nothing dumber than alienating half of your potential client base. A couple of second lapse could be damaging.
- Don’t post just to post. Have a good reason to post. Each social network has it’s own schedule, so make sure you can post across channels. You can write out topics you think should be great to use in the upcoming months, or you can ask AI what the most common notary prompts are.
- Don’t cross promote your business and personal accounts. Chances are you might have a lot of unrelated stuff in your personal account, and you don’t want to send visitors away. If you have someone who is really interested in your services, send them the work url in a direct message.
- Don’t use hashtags for the sake of using hashtags. A post should have only 1-3 hashtags. Any more than one should be relevant to the topic. Think About it. No one is searching for #MyCompany. We’d rather see on hashtag that is a little fun like #NotaryToTheRescue or #AnotherSuccessfulSigning. Don’t be afraid to be a little whimsical, as long as it goes along with your post.
Social Media Do’s
Well, it is time to get to the good stuff:
- Do make legitimate friends and expand your network. When you post it looks more important and is spread to the right people.
- Do post on a schedule with topics that match best practices for each social media network. So we might go to AI and ask “When should I post on Facebook and what topics should I post?” You might be surprised the right time to post and what topics are most popular. Now you can painfully put into your calendar or ask for a new prompt. “Please put the Facebook and LinkedIn posting schedule on a 2026 map in pdf format so I can download it.” You’d be amazed at what you can type in and get a response to.
- Do use photos. Why not a photo with a client (not the signer, more like the title company). “Another great closing with the people of Sample Title Company.”
- Do mention other accounts when Germaine, like the example above. “Another great closing with @SampleTitleCompany.” This will give you more visibility and spread the love to someone who deserves it.
- If you have the skill, look at a meme. There are plenty of meme making websites on the internet. Keep in your lane, but have some fun. Memes have been around for a long time now, but people still love them. They create great engagement.
So simply, keep it sanitized, post on a schedule, and use your imagination a little. This is what it takes to thrive on social media.
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