🍇 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝟜 𝔸𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕠𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕄𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕒: 𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕠𝕟 𝕒 ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕔.

Time for a republish of my take on a classic - with a twist!

You're probably familiar with Don Miguel Ruiz's bestselling book The Four Agreements. Published in 1997, it sold about 10 million copies and remained on the New York Times Best-Seller list for almost a decade. This book continues to be a relevant hit.

Think about it: everything in life is based on agreements we make -- agreements with ourselves, with other people, with your higher power, or with life itself.

The author states the Four Agreements as:

• Be Impeccable with Your Word.

• Don't Take Anything Personally.

• Don't Make Assumptions.

• Always Do Your Best.

I highly recommend his book, so I'll let Don's wisdom stand alone (as it should) and offer my "piggyback" take on his four agreements regarding social media. As someone who works on social posts, promotions, and connections for a living, it's a little refresher for all of us. I hope you enjoy it.

1.  Be Impeccable with Your Word.

"When you don't keep your word, you lose credibility.” – Robin Sharma

For businesses with a social media presence, keeping your word has never been more important. This is because everyone can see how you interact (or don't) with your customers and your willingness to provide them with actual customer service.

Most businesses send a message that they value their customers. Social media is a chance to prove you mean it, so if you don't have time to follow through on handling your customers' questions/concerns or keeping them up to date on your business, make sure you have someone to do it. You'll build loyalty and grow sales.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally

“What other people think of you is none of your business.” ~ various sources

Your customers, like everyone, can have a bad day, and that can cause a difficult interaction with someone whose mood is...shall we say, less than pleasant?

Be sure always to put your best foot forward, do what you can to address their issue (you might need to handle it offline), and above all, remember that "it's not about you."

You might also have to deal with the occasional "troll". The best way to deal with them is to ignore them. Sure, you’ll be tempted to tell them to stick it, but since these types thrive on anger and emotionally charged responses, you don’t need to take the bait. Don’t engage... let them move along, as trolls will often do. If they don't, "delete" and "block" are your best weapons.

3.  Don't Make Assumptions.

“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in.” ~ Isaac Asimov

Even though someone follows your business on social media, they may not know certain crucial things about it. Every so often, post some introductions of your staff (introductions are always nice, and they add a personal connection), post your business hours, share a fun or informative fact about you or your business, and let people know the things you value, whether it's your support of a local food pantry, a non-profit or the middle school team your business sponsors. Connections grow when people know and share your interests and values.

You can also do some research and use social media analytics to learn more about your tribe, what their interests are and what type of content grabs their attention.

4.  Always Do Your Best

“Today is all you have. Don't worry about tomorrow. Just do the best you can right now. One day, one moment at a time.” ~ Akiroq Brost

Follow up with those who take time to like your posts, comment on them, and/or share your content. As I always say, social media should be SOCIAL, so be sure to respond and engage with the folks who leave a word, ask a question, or comment on your pages and profiles.

Inform your audience. Take them behind the scenes if you can. Show them something new, educational, useful, or just plain old fun. Not every post has to entertain for entertainment’s sake but sprinkle in the humor when you can. (such posts often get the best results, too.). 😊

Think of your social media as a kind of friendship. As your customers get to learn about you and what's important to you, you'll likewise learn some things about them. Move beyond just posting sales and product notifications; build a connection that, like a friendship, will last and make you stand out from other businesses. It will also keep your business growing.

And, if you need help, that's what I'm here for, so let's chat!