Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The Power of Appreciation

Recently I had a birthday. I'm not saying that to get any more well-wishes (please forward all checks to my P.O. box), rather I am reporting to you on what I noticed from the other side of the coin.

Usually I wax philosophical about how it is a really good strategy to give approbation and praise to those that you have as friends on Facebook. I call it "Social Capital". The idea is that if you congratulate, celebrate, empathize and relate with others in your network, they will do the same for you, and it will increase awareness of your business. More importantly, it makes others feel good.

But up until now I was simply guessing that such a practice makes people feel good. Then, on October 31st I opened up my Facebook to see a bunch of Happy Birthdays on my wall. I have to say, it really made me feel...well, special. And because I felt special, I wanted to personally thank each and every person for the birthday wishes. Since that day two weeks ago, I have had an even greater dialogue with each of those individuals. Some of them are business associates, some are acquaintances, and some are friends. All of them are people that I appreciate to a greater degree, simply for clicking a button or two and leaving a Happy Birthday message.

My point is that you can do the same for others. Follow the golden rule and give the same sort of appreciation that you wish to receive. Not only will it help your business, but it will make your day flow a little better as you find that people really do care.

Tom Ossa
Rockland Web Design
(845) 271 - 4488

P.S. Want to integrate all your social networks in a snap? Call Rockland Web Design! We have a simple, very low-cost solution that will save you time and effort, and help your business gain more exposure.