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There Are Ways To Be Kinder On Social Media

Much kinder.

Here are just a few…

Try to be an expert in only the areas that you are truly an expert in.
Be helpful not promotional.
Create because you want to share.
Create because you have questions that are unanswered.
Share (but only share if you are confident in the source and truth of the information).
If you’re not sure, Snopes is a good place to start.
Know the difference between news, commentary and individual opinion.
All best practices are just one company’s way of showing what worked for them.
It may not work for you.
It probably won’t.
Most people are much luckier than they are smart, skilled and/or experienced.
Timing is often a major factor in success.
Timing can’t be timed.
Your feeds should be a salon-like environment for everyone to grow.
Know that everything you post can and will be used against you in the court of public opinion.
Know that everything you share in text messages, private groups and other messaging applications could also be used against you in the court of public opinion.
If you are posting on someone else’s page (or group), do not post links to your own blog, website, podcast, articles about yourself. Social media works best when we support each other and not use it to drive traffic.
Adam Grant says it best: Give don’t take.
If you only post to take, it hurts the entire community.
Social media is only successful if you invest your own social currency. Give your feedback and your support to others. Even a “like” helps feed the community.
If you’re thinking of posting on someone’s feed, and it starts with… “I hope this is ok to post…”, just message the person before you post it and ask them privately.
Social media is a democracy. Social media is for free speech.
My personal page (and the groups that I manage) are not a democracy. Free speech doesn’t apply. My page. My rules. If you don’t like it, you can post on your own page or find another space.
If something smells off, doesn’t make sense to you, or doesn’t fit the conversation it can (and should) be removed.
Personal pages don’t have to be political. Again, the person who runs the page has every right to delete that which they don’t agree with.
Social media doesn’t have to be political. Being political is a choice.
If you posted something in a group or on someone else’s page that you already posted on your personal page or on other social media platforms, that’s called “carpet-bombing.” It’s (usually) selfish.
If you think that something you posted on your own page also has relevance or meaning on someone else’s page or private group, tweak it and make it specific/original to the needs of the members there. Also feel free to ask first before posting (see above).
Working through ideas and problems (and being wrong) on these platforms is healthy and should be embraced.
Be creative.
Be open.
Be personable.
Be kind.

Any additional ways to be kinder? Feel free to add them…

(h/t to Scott Stratten for many of the ideas above that I have tweaked and refined).

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.