Is talking politics on social media good or bad for your brand?

LinkedIn, among other places, has become highly politicized territory. In Canada, the current federal election has turned things up to a fever pitch.

Some thoughts:

First, understand that in our polarized political environment, if you publicly support one party over another, it is quite possible that you will alienate some of your connections and clients. Does that mean they will stop doing business with you? In some cases, yes. Some people will lose at least some enthusiasm for you, which by definition makes it more likely you will lose them.

So, you should weigh the cost-benefit of getting political. As Michael Jordan once put it, “Republicans buy sneakers too.”

Related, it must be recognized that polarization IS a bona fide branding strategy. I don’t need to tell you that many political leaders and public figures – and people we know right here on LinkedIn – have built extremely powerful brands by clearly declaring their beliefs.

That said, I try to keep in mind some advice I once received: “Just because you *can* say something on social media, doesn’t mean you should.”