How NOT to Vent Your Feelings on Facebook!

How to vent your feelings on Facebook and other social media sites with class and professionalism. Feel free to pass along.

First, whatever we say or write in life affects people’s feelings. Think before you write. Do you care about the relationship? If you do, then make the relationship more important than your anger or frustration. 

Second, there is no delete key in life. Once you have hurt someone, you can’t delete the behavior. Think before you write or speak. Again, do you value the relationship?

Third, try venting on paper first before you post comments on social media. Why? Because your comments are permanent. They reflect your reputation. What you say about others and how you say it, says something about you.

If you have something important to say, perhaps a phone call to the person you care about is a great place to start. It may not be easy but honest, open, loving communications start with caring about the other person’s feelings.

Social media for social change for social good.

Social media is so much more than marketing, creating communities, listening to customers and having a two-way dialogue. It's also about using the tools and platforms for change---real change---that makes a difference in the world.

Whether you are an individual, an organization, an association, or a company---it's your (our) responsibility to use these tools for social good.

I'm reminded of a story from 2010 in which a social media leader had a real epiphany --- a real "ah ha" moment about social media for social change. As he tells the story here he is pounding out his blog every day with thousands of readers when his wife comes home and says she wants to help a mother and kids after they became homeless because of a domestic violence situation. The writer took the family in and then  tweeted the need for $5,000 to help set the family up in an apartment. 

Was he surprised. By the next day people had sent in $17,000 via Pay Pal --- and he didn't even know most of these people. 

The moral of this story is to do the same thing. Use your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn connections to help others. Social media for social change for social good.
Joe Barnes

It's the Relationship Economy!

As most of you know I've spent the last several years in the nonprofit world, in marketing, fundraising, building attendance for a science center, and in product sales. The one common denominator in all of this is relationships. Whether you are in sales, marketing, the financial sector----for profit or nonprofit---it's all about relationships. 

You need to have the communications skills to connect with people at all levels quickly----from the heart. If you're faking, they will see right through you. If you're real, they will notice. 

First impressions count. How do you look, do you smile, connect with a genuine handshake or a slick one? Do you genuinely care about the other person and convey that? 

This blog is about creating community and a two-way dialogue with customers by using social media, but it's also about what you do in real life. 

If you remember one thing, please remember this: Nothing is more important than building relationships with the people you come to meet and get to know.

It's Not About the Tweet, It's About the Relationship!!

Yes, you heard me right. If you're using Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, blogs and all the rest of them, I applaud you. You know the tools and you are using them. But the key issue is what are you doing with the? If you just Tweet and tell the world what flight you took or what the commute is like or that you just had dinner with your friends---who cares? Twitter and all of these social media tools are about building communities. They are tools to build relationships.

If you tweet from a company account do you try to solicit comments from your customers? Twitter is a great two-way communications tool IF you ask questions. Are you just posting comments or are you creating a two-way dialogue with your tools?

Whether you are a non-profit trying to build a relationship with donors or a corporation trying to build a relationship with customers --- use social media tools for relationships.