12 decent ways to win friends and influence people on social media
The pain of loneliness despite being in a crowd is intolerable. You can’t share your pain with anyone because apparently you are with so many people. You are internally lonely but who cares what is happening to your inner self. Everyone sees what is visible and no one cares what is behind the visibility. This is the world that never bothers to look what’s going on behind the scene. Especially;
- When a person feels alone despite being with so many people.
- When he receives so many artificial smiles.
- When everyone talks to him with a clear purpose.
As if he is a machine and has to work under an automated system of;
- A smile for a smile.
- A hug for a hug.
- A kiss for a kiss.
- And most painfully love for love.
If this kind of thing happens to someone, he fails to know what is business and what is personal in his life.
Sometimes he takes something personal as a business. Some other times he takes a very personal thing very commercially.
So he gets confused on what to do and what not do.
Nothing lies in a pleasure that you can’t get without a bill. And equally nothing lies in a bill that gives you a monotonous pleasure.
Same happens to people who work on social media. They while working forget what their main purpose is. Sometimes they be very personal where they need not to be. While sometimes they get so commercial where they need to be personal. If someone informs you about his personal tragedy. What should be your prompt reaction? Obviously, you would console him. Many people will console him but equally ask when he is coming back to work. This could be done if there is an urgency otherwise must not if everything is normal. So it is must to behave on social media to win friends and influence people and never be confused while doing so.
While following the simple rules of social media people do strange things. What I observed while being on social media for the last ten years I share here how one can behave decently to win friends and influence people.
Otherwise, he would be alone despite having so many friends and followers. So let’s discuss these 12 points.
1. What to like and what to not?
It is good to work fast on social media to spare time for other equally productive activities. But it doesn’t mean you like everything you see. Or you make it your habit to consider everything is likeable.
It is not wise to like someone’s post that instead deserves your comments of few words. Especially of those who never simply like your posts. They stop by and comment briefly to let you know they noticed fully what you’ve shared.
It also reflects a kind of attitude if you silently like a share that otherwise requires a big round of applause. So do full justice with every post on the basis of its quality and also check how friendly you are with its sharer.
Sharing something with others in a stereotyped way shows you are so objective on social media. Make your presence there as organic/original and don’t behave like a machine. Share every kind of post that you love to share with your friends in your offline world.
If you are a cricketer you do share your views on a recent match with your offline friends. In a same way share whatever you feel is sharable with your friends on social media. It is unwise to think if it would strengthen your networking or not.
Also while resharing others posts don’t be objective. If someone doesn’t reshare your posts no problem. You should examine a post for resharing just on its merit. His behavior to you regarding resharing your posts shouldn’t matter.
If your friends and followers love something do share it even if it was already shared by someone else.
Social media is not about the exploitation of technology but service to community
How will be your friend’s reaction if you ignore him while passing by him on a road? Obviously, he would ask you if you are angry on him or don’t want to talk to him.
So if your friend shares something on your timeline you should not ignore it. If you really made him friend do let him know that he is your friend. This you can do by noticing his each share or majority of shares if your social media working hours are different from him.
Also never be so commercial with friends. Ask them about their professional life and equally share with them about yours.
You follow a person on social media who you think is worth following. But it doesn’t mean just follow him and then keep silence.
Do make him notice your presence by off and on mentioning him on your timeline. Sometimes to get his attention and sometimes to get his views. All who you follow should feel you literally follow them.
6. Who to message and for what?
Also, message with multiple purposes. It is not good to message everyone to let him know about your new post.
Sometimes send them an interesting link that they may like. Sometimes ask them if they can do anything to promote your latest post. In short be in touch with your friends and followers either you want something from them or not.
7. Avoid tagging blindly
Being tagged is very irritating for busy people on social media. So first be on closer terms with people who you want to tag.
Also get their permission if you can tag them with your important posts. Even if they allows you, avoid tagging them frequently. Else your tagging won’t matter to them.
8. Ethics of status update
If you want to inform about your status to a group of your friends mention it with tagging. For example invite all your colleagues only to read your update related to office. Or wish your family members only on a family related achievement.
In short a generalized status update would bother all your friends in thousands or hundreds to check its every word. That could be so time-consuming for them.
9. Use hashtag
A share without a hashtag goes deep down to the archive after a while. So try to put hashtag on your each post to prolong its active life.
Search what is trending on your social media and try to link your post with it to make it widely noticeable. But never try to forcibly link your share with any top trend. People do notice you are just playing tricks to be noticed.
10. Start a thread
Start a thread with a clear purpose. Ask a question and invite those who you think are most relevant to reply it.
Once you get replies from them close the thread by putting your remarks at its end as “this thread is closed now”. It means now no one should bother to give his comments on it.
11. Participate in a thread
Either if someone invites you by tagging you or thread is relevant to you do participate in it. Give your comments fully explaining your viewpoint on its topic.
If you simply share your two or three words it may portray that thread doesn’t mean a lot to you. So avoid giving an impression of downplaying something on social media.
12. Invite others to participate
If you think initiator of a thread won’t mind or you are quite closer to him you can invite other relevant people from your friends list to participate in a thread. It will broaden the discussion and also those who you invited will get connected with others. They would also invite you in threads where they are invited by their friends.
So these are the 12 decent ways to win friends and influence people on social media. People would take you seriously owing to your professional attitude. So they would never let you feel alone and you will be in crowd apparently and literally both.
How do you feel on social media? Is your each friend on social media really your friend or just in your friends list. Share your views below to let us know how your experience on social media is.
