Social media can still allow for positive experiences if you use it correctly.
As we looked at last week, social media is an extremely valuable tool in today’s world. We have seen countless examples of how it can connect people, give voice to the unheard and spread worthwhile messages. It can also be a helpful tool for businesses or just a fun thing for personal use. However, we also often see the uglier side of social media, with negative and hurtful commentary turning some people away from the medium. But there are ways you can get the good from social media while avoiding a lot of the bad. Have a look at our guide to positive social media use.
Connect with the right people.
It’s likely that most of us joined social media in the first place to connect with our friends and family. With old friends living in other cities and kids moving out on their own, it can be a great, easy way to stay in touch. Keep those positive connections. You don’t have to accept every friend request. Keep your network isolated to the people you want to hear from.
Know your privacy settings.
Privacy on social media is a big concern. Maybe you want to share photos or updates but don’t want just anyone to see them. That’s what privacy settings are for. Choose who can see your posts and visit your page. Approve of anything shared on your page by others before it goes live. There are a lot of ways to stay social and still have that piece-of-mind.
Share other’s work.
Social media networks are a great tool for sharing your own work or thoughts, but they’re also great for helping others share. Use your social media to spread the word about causes or events you care about, help your followers get their work out in the world, or just share those things you think your audience will enjoy.
Have a goal with you content.
Some people need to put more thought into what they post on social media. We’ve all probably seen those people that post constantly and seemingly without purpose. While not necessarily harmful, it can be quite annoying. Try to keep your audience in mind when constructing your next post. Is this something worth sharing? What message do you want to get across? By asking yourself these questions you can use social media more effectively as a communication tool.
Be positive.
The easiest way to ensure you have a good experience on social media is by staying positive with how you use it. Whether it’s sharing something you read, posting your own thoughts or commenting on others’, keep a positive outlook. There’s no need to be hurtful or insulting no matter what the topic. If you run into other who are negative, simply ignore them – or better yet, block them. Creating the experience you want on social media doesn’t need to be difficult as long as you take the right approach.