The Golden Rule

The Golden Rule states: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” One may recognize this tried-and-tested formula from the playground—if one would not like to be excluded from the game, why would they leave someone else out? The same principle of reciprocity applies to internet interactions. To expand one’s following and engagement, one must actively interact with other accounts. Does one have highly influential people in their network who are trying to promote something to their audience? This could either be a video, event, article, book, or business. Anything one can share or promote that would help another person reach a larger audience and would also be of interest to one’s network, is what one should aim for.

A mutually beneficial relationship between two parties can be achieved when they continuously support and endorse each other’s content. Not only will this technique allow followers of both accounts to benefit from the shared information, especially if the services complement each other, but the account can also become a great salesperson for one’s business.

Another approach is collaborating on a project. This could be organizing an event or shooting a video together to post on one’s platform. The ‘Live’ feature on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube can work wonders for collaborations. ‘Going Live’ refers to recording a video—live-to-air—in real time. When one posts live content, the platform they are operating on sends out a notification to the account’s network/followers. If one is using Facebook, the platform will push the live content more than any pre-recorded video or post to allow for real-time engagement. This feature is another effective way of building one’s online presence and expanding their network.

Create content to express not impress

Nowadays, it is becoming exceedingly difficult to avoid comparing one’s online presence to others. When exploring different options with regard to content creation, it is important to remember one’s posts will look different from big budget motion pictures or National Geographic photographs—at least in the beginning. As businesses begin to understand the value and advantages of social media, an increased need for engaging posts ensues. Some companies may hire a media professional to manage their social platforms while others may choose to hand over the responsibility to one of their existing employees. Regardless of where other companies stand, one should resist the urge to compare themselves to other brands.

The trajectory of a business’s online success is determined by the hard work they put into their content. No matter what the initial results look like, one should not stop posting. There may be an urge to hold off on creating and posting content because of the fear that the content is not good enough. However, putting a simple picture or short video online is better than not posting at all. As Cardone says, “Best known beats best every time.” Spending a lot of time perfecting a post may take away the opportunity of engaging with one’s followers or brainstorming ideas for future content. Indeed, an esthetically shot video will make people believe the business’s products/services match the quality of its content. However, this may not always be the case. This does not mean one should forgo planning, creating, and editing content altogether; it simply means one should invest valuable time thinking about the message they are trying to convey to their followers. If the message gets lost behind all the footage and transitions, then regardless of how good the content looks, it will not be effective. One must find a way to communicate simply and often. The more a product/company is seen, the more recognizable it becomes. If an audience continuously witnesses how a business practices good service, they will believe it, too.

Enjoy the ride

How can one get over their insecurities to accomplish this feat? It is simple—one must remember the phrase: “Be yourself!” One must be authentic and let go of the urge to compare and procrastinate. It is acceptable to let go of the need to remain professional at all times on social media. The professional guise online may come off as robotic to customers who are used to the friendly banter in person. Creating content that is fun makes it easier for customers to engage with it, too. Also, one must let go of unnecessary stress and worries and simply enjoy the content-creation process. The sooner one learns to determine their message, experiment with social media platforms, and support other accounts, the faster they will succeed.

References:

5 Things to Grow Your Social Media, streamed live by Grant Cardone on YouTube on Oct. 24, 2017. For more information, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeJ-3uHsHzk.

• Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World, by Gary Vaynerchuk, published by HarperCollins

Grace McGrenere is a fourth year journalism and human rights student at Carleton University in Ottawa. She interned for the digital magazine, kaur. space in March 2019 and hosted a human rights-based radio show, Speak Out, on CKCUFM for two years. She is spending the summer before the final year of her undergrad at Highbury Pools, where she manages the company’s social media accounts. Grace is the only one at the company who is responsible for the computer numerical control (CNC) machine: a contraption that produces liners for customers each day. She can be reached via e-mail at grace@mcgrenere.com.