I was recently at my best friend’s house preparing a meal with the assistance of her five-year old daughter.
I asked her to put the potatoes I had just peeled into a pot – a task which she carried out with great gravity and concentration. When she was done I thanked her for her help, to which she replied:
“I like helping. It’s very fun and I’m doing my job. My job is to be kind and nice and help out.”
Thinking about her lovely philosophy, it occurs to me that what makes some people wildly successful in the realm of social media is less about their technical expertise and more about their commitment to being helpful. Whether it’s offering advice, sharing resources or making connections, they too consider it their job to be kind and nice and help out.
I am constantly amazed by this new age of online interaction in which we live. I’m astounded by how easy it is to access the best thinking of smart caring people all over the world, who are unfailingly generous in sharing their knowledge.
Without ever leaving the house I find myself part of a community of people who in their own unique ways contribute to making a positive impact in their communities, in their sector and in the world. My own knowledge and learning is growing exponentially because of their willingness to share what they know.
People make social media social – and being nice and kind and helpful makes people more likely to appreciate you, respect you and listen to you.
So while there are lots of great tactics and techniques you can and should apply to your use of social media in support of your business or organization, you’ll get a lot further if you remember this golden rule:
Be kind, be nice and help out.
