#KeystoKindness Archives - The Social Media Advisor

November 23, 2015
Socially Kind

Giving Back This Holiday Season

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As Thanksgiving approaches this week, we all begin to reflect on all the blessings we have in our lives. In our #KeystoKindness series this month, we have been encouraging everyone to find ways to reach out and spread kindness. Another way to do that is to give back to your communities. Each of us has a set of specialized talents and skillsthat we use to be successful. Here are some ways to spread your generosity through the end of the year.

Community Service

The obvious choice for many, when it comes to giving back to our local communities, is to participate in a community service project. This can be done solo, with your family, or arranged as a teamwith your organization. There are so many different non-profits out there looking for help during the holiday season.

Collaboration

Short on time or ideas? Team up with a location organization to help them in their community service efforts. Plenty of businesses, churches and scouting groups are already coordinating drives and other service efforts. This is a great way to make an impact without having to do all the coordination and behind the scenes work.

Mentoring

As a business professional, you have plenty to offer someone out there trying to make their mark. This could be a great opportunity to take on an intern or to work with a local youth group to coach and mentor based on your own expertiseand knowledge. This is a way to give back that could have long-term benefits for people and costs you nothing but time and energy.

Random Acts of Kindness

The pay it forward concept is not new and never gets old. Get in the habit of practicing random acts of kindness or giving in ways where you expect nothing in return. If someone wants to reciprocate, cultivate that pay it forward vibe by telling him or her to do something for another person. Keep it going!

Sponsor a Charity Event

This is a great way to help out a local organization while also generating some marketing presence for your company. It also requires little effort on your part as often the only requirements are to send over a check and email a copy of your logo for marketing purposes.

Give Back Event

Instead of planning an event this month to make profit, consider running a webinar, workshop or class and not charging for your time and knowledge. Or organize an event that utilizes your skill set for free. This one time event is a great way to practice giving back and helping others. It will also generate some good will and word of mouth for you and what you do!

Hopefully this article gives you some ideas to mull over. Don’t let this opportunity to spread kindness pass up without doing something. We all get busy, especially during the holidays. However, nothing feels better or is more rewarding than sharing your gifts with those in need. #BeAwesome everyone!

~ Social Media is changing the way people do business. Don’t get left behind ~

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!

Hollie Clere, of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn,Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+ , YouTube,Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars.

November 17, 2015
Socially Kind

World Peace Day – Being Kind in Interactions

November 17^th is the time set aside each year for World Peace Day. This ties in nicely with the month of gratitude and blessings. Taking a moment to sit back and practice harmony, diversity and peace is a good way to begin new habits. While world peace may seem like a lofty goal, there are ways to smart small – in your own communities – to promote the same idea. It is all about practicing kindness. More than just random acts of kindness, curating a habit of being kind on a daily basis will be rewarding in so many ways.

Being kind is more than just an activity; it can be a way of life. Often people get wrapped up in all the reasons or justifications for not being kind:

“I’ve had a bad day.”

“No one said a kind word to me today.”

“That person is so standoffish.”

“I’ve just been so busy.”

Yes, anyone can find a reason to avoid being kind. Here are all the reasons you should cultivate a kindness approach instead.

Being Kind is Good for Others

Spreading kindness in a world that is fast moving and mostly self-centered causes people to stop and take note. It is not expected but is so often needed. As they say, everyone is fighting a battle of some sort. As human beings, we crave connection with others and a kind wordor gesture can turn a person’s day around or change a negative outlook.

Being Kind is Good for You

Doing something nice for others actually makes us feel better. There is science to back it up! Being kind increases our dopamine levels and releases oxytocin. Dopamine is the same chemical that is released when we are in love or get a natural high. Oxytocin is released when we receive hugs, cuddle, and feel bliss. This is our body’s way of encouraging us to be supportive of each other!

If you believe in the notion of karma, every kind move you make will return to you tenfold. I’d call that stacking the deckin your favor!

Being Kind Sets An Example

Kindness can be contagious. This is why random acts of kindness and pay it forward are such popular concepts. As you radiate an aura of kindness, your family, friends and colleagues will notice. You will inspire others to follow your example. This is the highest form of flattery and the easiest way to spread kindness in your community.

They say it takes at least two weeks to develop a new habit. Why not start contributing to world peace by practicing kindness every day for the rest of the month? This is a natural way to #BeAwesome! If you appreciate this week’s #KeystoKindness article, please share it with your networks.

~ Social Media is changing the way people do business. Don’t get left behind ~

November 10, 2015
Relationship Marketing

Forget Me Not – Reconnecting with People Online

The next chapter of our #KeystoKindness series this month covers reconnecting with people online. This is especially true for past clients, colleagues, co-workers, and networks that you might not have thought of in awhile. While social media is all about connecting, having conversations and engagement online, the focus tends to be on making new relationships instead of strengthening those you already have.

The main benefit of reconnection is building on a foundationthat is already established. They already know, and most likely trust, you and what you do. We all get busy and get lost in our own tunnel vision. Taking a moment to remind them that you are around and are thinking of them is a great way to reopen communication channels. From there, both parties are welcome to collaborate, brainstorm or share information.

How to Approach Reconnecting

It may feel awkward to say hello to someone you haven’t thought of in awhile. It doesn’t have to elaborate, opening with something simple works just fine. Try one of these:

“Hey there! I was just thinking of you and wondering how your business was doing?”

“Hello! I’m working on this new project and thought it would be great to get your input on it. I’ve always valued your opinion.”

“I saw this article online and it looked right up your alley. Figured I would share and see how you are doing?”

Where to Reconnect

Sure, you can just shoot people an email or a text to reconnect. There’s nothing wrong with that approach at all. However, consider using your social media platforms instead. For one, everyone is looking for more authentic engagement on his or her online platforms. Besides, a side benefit could be that other people view or even participate in the conversation.

Facebook

Share a link to a website, blog, or article that might be interesting to the person. Like some of their posts. Comment on their shares. Make sure to leave a personal note. Ask them a question to encourage them to respond.

LinkedIn

The good thing is this site is built for connecting. Go through your connections and send people a message. Leave a recommendation or endorsements. Often they will be grateful for the time you spent and message you expressing gratitude. Perhaps they will even reciprocate on your profile. Spend some time looking at the prompts the website offers for reconnecting – congratulation people on their new jobs, promotions or work anniversaries.

Twitter

Twitter has perfected the art of the short conversation. If you use Twitter, get on there and start retweeting, favoriting, and mentioning people you haven’t spoken to in a while. Find creative ways to spark their interest and build your own engaging conversations.

There are other ways to reconnect as well. Know any bloggers? Go read their latest blog post and post a comment. Engage and interact with people you know on forums, community groups, and websites. Pull up a list of people you network with and send them something valuable or interesting.

Challenge yourself to take some time this week to drop a line with some people you haven’t talked to for a bit. It establishes more presence for you online and you never know what kind of benefits might come from engaging others. Keep expressing gratitude, counting your blessings, and sharing kindness.

This is just one of the ways to #BeAwesome this November. Keep an eye out for more of our #KeystoKindness later this month.

~ Social Media is changing the way people do business. Don’t get left behind ~

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!

Hollie Clere, of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn,Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+ , YouTube,Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars.

November 3, 2015
Relationship Marketing

Word of Mouth Still Reigns – Benefits of Online Recommendations

November is the month that many people use to express their gratitude for all of life’s blessings. It’s the time of year that our social media platforms become overwhelmed with postings about what each of us is grateful for. How can your business utilize this opportunity to express gratitude in a professional way?

One of the long time staples of traditional marketing is word of mouth (WOM). WOM was the highest quality marketing because it wasn’t based on budget or fancy advertising; it was simply a satisfied client or customer sharing your information with their circle. This type of relationship building was the goal every great marketing department strived for.

However, today marketing is fascinated with a completely different area of growth and that is social media marketing. Social media created a way for businesses to reach and interact with their audience without needing to leave their desks.

How can we still get the benefit from WOM marketing while using social media? And how can we contribute and show our gratitude this month?

The answer is … online referrals and recommendations!

The Internet is a big place and there is a lot of information out there. For large companies, there is more than enough information out there for potential customers to make a decision. However, for smaller businesses or start-ups, the slate is still mostly blank. Sure, a small business can have a website out there and that’s great but it’s still that company and their owners doing all of the talking. Customers want to see what their peers think. They want to hear about the experiences of others. This helps narrow down a decision and motivate buyers to contact lesser-known businesses. So, adding a referral or recommendation online for some of the businesses or vendors you know and interact with is a great way to show gratitude and spread the word about a fabulous company! Here are some places you can go to add your two cents … an online random act of kindness.

Google

If you search up a company on Google, most of the time a box will show up on the right side of the search engine with details on the business. This usually includes general information such as location, contact information and the option to leave a review. Simply hit the ‘Write a review’ button to leave some awesome feedback.

LinkedIn

This site is the best choice for busy professionals and for many service providers. LinkedIn not only has an area to write a testimonial for an individual or company, users can also choose to endorse someone based on their skill set. An added perk may be that those you leave reviews for may return the favor!

Yelp

Yelp.com exists as a review website. Simply search for the company’s name to bring up their profile. Once you find it you can post a rating and a review. Yelp is bigger in some areas of the country than others but is still a viable place to leave a web impression.

Amazon

If you know any authors or online storefronts, it may be possible to leave a review on Amazon as well. Granted this won’t work for every company you want to brag about, but the review section of this website is pretty stellar and should be utilized, if possible.

If figuring out those websites seems like too much work, simply write up a testimonial and email it to them. That way they can use it on their website and in their marketing materials to help drum up new business.

This is just one of the ways to #BeAwesome this November. Keep an eye out for more of our #KeystoKindness later this month.

~ Social Media is changing the way people do business. Don’t get left behind ~

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Forget Me Not – Reconnecting with People Online

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