For me, Thanksgiving is about appreciating our families, friends, and what we all have and do together. It’s a day to relax, enjoy, laugh, and just spend quality time with those we care about.
I think that for the most part, how we engage on social media should be the same thing. In fact, I believe that every day on social media can and should be just like Thanksgiving.
I try to do the following 7 things when posting and engaging on social media. Writing this post reminded me to do all of these things more often.
Take a look. Maybe you’ll see something that will spark an idea and change how you’re communicating interacting on social media.
1. The first thing I try to do is become genuinely interested in other people, their platforms and what they share on social. I try to spend about 70% of my time on social media focusing on others rather than on my own business, products or services.
2. I try to smile, be kind, and have empathy for others. Again, when it comes to politics, this isn’t always the case, but I try. Remember the ancient Chinese proverb, “A man without a smiling face must not open a shop.”
3. I try to acknowledge and personalize my social media by taking the time to use other people’s names and social media handles.
4. I try to be a good listener, encourage others to talk about themselves and share their content. I do this because I’m genuinely interested in others. Asking open-ended questions is a good way to do this.
5. I try to direct the online conversation around other people’s interests.
6. I try to be sincere and keep in mind, what Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn from him.”
7. I try always to say and do the right thing. Sure, just like everyone else, I make mistakes, but I try to learn from these mistakes and move forward.
For many of us, our social media communities play a big part in our personal and professional lives. Because of this, why not treat our friends on social media just like we would as though they were sitting across the table from us on Thanksgiving Day?