YOU WANT FOLLOWERS?

YOU WANNA STAND OUT?

YOU WANNA BE influential?

WELL, WTF IS YOUR DAMN POINT OF VIEW???

In the Dragon’s Formula, O is for Opinion.

Don’t be afraid to get opinionated!

Opinion is one of the pillars of my DRAGONS FORMULA. These days, a lot of people avoid sharing their opinion to steer clear of conflict or confrontation. They’re afraid of saying the wrong thing or that they’ll offend someone in the process.

What most don’t realize is that having an opinion and stating it in a way that doesn’t undermine other opinions is an awesome way to connect with your audience and create dialogue (dialogue is another pillar from the DRAGONS Formula btw!).

So, why should you share your opinion? Well, first of all, it gives you a personality. And the opportunity to back different causes. It also helps attract a loyal following AND boost engagement to help you reach even more people.

Here are 5 ways reasons you should absolutely share your opinion on social media.

1. Stand behind different causes

Instead of jumping on the bandwagon every time a topic becomes trendy, think of what causes you support. And then really try to support them. If you believe strongly in LQBTQ rights, shout it out. If you want to see a shift in how we combat climate change, let people know and ask for their help. When others notice your passion for something, they see you as a human and not just a celebrity or a generic brand. And they’re more likely to respect you because you’re not trying to please everyone. You might even attract more people because they support the same cause as you!

2. Tell stories

Everyone’s beliefs are shaped by different experiences. While it’s great to have an opinion, it’s also a good idea to explain where you’re coming from. Sharing your experience and why you think the way you do will make you more likeable than just shouting something out with nothing personal to back it up.

Storytelling is a chance for you to give people a peek into your personal life. Who knows, you might even inspire someone to be brave and share their own experience. All of this sharing adds value, creates a strong community and enhances engagement!

3. Create a stronger connection with your followers

By giving your followers little pieces of you through stories and experiences, you’re opening yourself up to stronger connections. Being open and vulnerable makes it easier for others to think of you as approachable and relatable. They’ll be more likely to share their own stories, opinions and feelings. Once they do and you continue honest conversations like this, you’ll create stronger bonds!

4. Show your personality

People follow brands, celebrities and products because they’re different. There’s something exciting about being able to see a little bit of yourself (or something you’d like to see in yourself) in the accounts you follow. Trying to be neutral or PC all the time doesn’t help you in the long run – it just makes you boring (see, that’s an opinion).

By sharing your opinion, your personality shines through without you having to lift a finger. Ever checked out Wendy’s Twitter account? Their opinion? They are superior to all other fast food joints out there. And they’re savage about it. Check out these real tweets:

Is this not epic and hilarious?! Wendy’s actually has the balls to call out McDonald’s and I’m LOVING it. This is a wonderful example of brands getting out of the cookie-cutter comfort zone. People even reach out to Wendy’s asking to be roasted. They’re doing something right!

5. Spur debate, boost engagement

People LOVE sharing their opinions especially if they disagree with something. So although you automatically shy away from conflict, other people thrive in it. If you really believe in what you’re sharing what’s so bad about that? USE YOUR OPINION AS A STRATEGY TO CREATE POLARIZING POSTS 😉

Yes, there’ll be those who wholeheartedly agree with you and those who will rise up in rage. But if they’re leaving comments and engaging with other commenters, then the algorithm will see your post as something valuable that needs to be seen by more people. More comments = more engagement = brownie points and greater growth!

Whether you’re asking for people’s feedback, sharing experiences or using polls, try using more opinions in your posts to change it up a little.

And then let me know what happens!