I sometimes jokingly warn people when they start following me on Twitter or friend me on Facebook to be prepared for lots of photos of my dinner and my cats. It’s usually good for a chuckle or two. The truth is, I do post a lot of food and cat pictures on my social media profiles. Why? Well, I suppose the easy answer is because I like food and I like cats. But there’s actually a little more to it than that.

Cats Rule the Internet

My husband and I have three cats. They are rambunctious and playful, adorable and exceedingly photogenic. A few years ago when I got my first iPhone, I started to take close up photos of our cats and share them on Facebook and Twitter. Every day I would take one photo of one of the cats and post it. After several months, I happened to skip a couple of days. Suddenly, my friends and followers were asking me why I hadn’t posted a “Daily Kitteh” lately. Some were even concerned that something had happened to the cats. I was amazed that so many people had been paying attention! That night, I bought DailyKitteh.com, and started a Tumblr blog where my kitteh pictures now reside. I have had strangers come up to me on the street and say “Hey, you’re @Suzemuse – I love the Daily Kitteh!”.

You know, it all seems kind of silly when I actually write it out. The Daily Kitteh isn’t a social media strategy. I don’t do it in order to drive traffic and engagement. I do it because I love my cats and I love to take pictures of them. But my Daily Kitteh DOES drive traffic. It IS a way to engage with people. I’ve met a bunch of folks just because of that one thing I do. Cats really do rule the Internet.

We All Gotta Eat

The other thing I do quite often is post photos of my food. Usually it’s something myself or my husband has cooked up for dinner, and occasionally it’s a lunch out at a great restaurant. Either way, posting photos of what I’m eating has been another amazing way of connecting and sharing with others online.

You see, food is the great equalizer. We all have to eat. And many of us are very passionate about food. The truth is, I get more engagement on Twitter and Facebook about my food photos than anything else. I get into some really great conversations with people around food – whether its sharing recipes, or others sharing their food experiences – I’ve made many great friends over food.

Ultimately, your experience with social media is what you make it. Even if you look at it as a business tool (which I do), there’s still plenty of room for allowing your personality to come through. All work and no play makes Jill a dull girl, so consider how you might try to mix things up a bit more on your social channels. You might just open up a whole new world of connections.

How do you let your personality shine through online? Let me know in the comments.