“Like” – a social media mantra

Mantras are used in eastern religion to aid concentration and quiet the mind. If you’re in need of some daily social media focus start by practicing the “like” mantra.

“L” is for Listen.

No one enjoys having a conversation with someone who doesn’t listen. It’s similar to talking to a brick wall and can be equally as frustrating as hitting your head against one.

Having a conversation online is not that different from the offline world. We enjoy talking to people who listen to what we have to say. Taking the time to listen to another’s opinion and then providing a considered response is valuable. In the over cluttered, spammy and attention deficit social media space, listening is now becoming more important than ever.

“I” is for Interact.

Interacting doesn’t mean posting status updates of what you had for breakfast, how horrible your day is going or whinging about missing the bus. In fact, that’s broadcasting and it’s a one-way form of communication.

Interaction is about getting involved, it’s about proactively reaching out to other online users and starting a discussion or tagging on to an existing one.

“K” is for Kudos.

It’s the act of giving praise or approval. People like to receive it and if you do it often enough you’ll probably start to receive some yourself. If a user offers an insightful opinion or useful advice, thank them. It’s polite. Plain and simple.

“E” is for Engagement.

Retweeting is not engagement. Setting up a social media account and not engaging with other users is equivalent to getting ready to play a basketball game and then just standing still on the court. Someone throws the ball at you and it flies straight past – it’s a missed opportunity.

This same scenario is taking place online all the time. If someone leaves you a comment then leave one back, or at least acknowledge the time they took to contribute. They’ll like it – pun intended.

By Clare Crook
@clarecrook
http://au.linkedin.com/in/clarecrook