I’ve been talking a lot about words lately, right?
Well – they matter…a lot…and I want to share some ideas with you on ways you can be better about your words and how you react to
social mediareviews.To reply or not to reply – that’s the real question!Not everything needs a response… I know, I actually hear you scoffing. I have said in the past that “engagement is everything”, but I don’t think I explained that well enough. So let me explain.If you have trolls on your social media sites and they are itchin’ to be bitchin’ – leave them alone. Don’t go there. They will only fuel your heated responses and a gasoline explosion of not-so-pretty comments will be flowing from you like hot lava.
Tone and inflection RARELY come across the same for everyone.
When we talk to each other with our actual voice – we use tone and inflection to create subtle changes in how we mean a word to come across. What happens in writing, though? How are you reading my words right now?What if I said to you, “I won’t do it!” (Did you put the emphasis on the “I” or the “won’t” or “it”? Read that again with a stronger emphasis on each word. See how differently they sound? That’s what happens when you write and how someone else reads it. So if you can’t make what you’re saying come across as you meant it – then don’t write it (or hire someone to write it for you!)Related:
Do You Have a Communications Plan for a Crisis? My one and only rule that applies to everyone! [Sorry, Nike.]
Everyone is watching what you write. Don’t believe me? The social media sites tattle on you, so trust me – everyone is watching. My only rule is don’t go cray cray in public. It will end badly for you,
your employees, your business, and your brand. Just [don’t] do it.
Be a Person of Action: Take time in responding to social media reviews and posts. If you can’t formulate an appropriate response, trust me – hire someone. If you don’t know someone – ask me, I know who can help you with this. Words can hurt you, your business, and
your brand. Take words seriously!
