Wondering how to engage online?
There are thousands of pages of information about how to create compelling content and engage online.
But here’s a simple thing that works!
Notice what’s going on around you and be kind.
She moved her walker slowly up to the reception desk to pay, and sighed loudly.
The receptionist processed her health care card, “Mrs Richards, you’ve got $7 gap to pay today”.
Rummaging around in her handbag she tried to find her change purse – a few moments go by, but no purse emerges.
From her left, a girl in her early 20’s silently approaches the desk with $7 in her hand.
Motioning to the receptionist she quietly handed her the money. She gently touches the older lady’s hand saying, “Mrs Richards, I’ve just paid for your visit.”
The older lady looked up with tears rolling down her face, “oh dear, that’s the nicest thing anyone has done for me all year…”
Making a difference in someone’s life doesn’t have to be a fanfare filled occasion – it can happen everyday.
Look up from your screen and notice what’s going on right next to you:
- does your elderly neighbour need anything at the shops?
- could you cook your sick friend a meal and deliver it to them?
- would your mum appreciate a bunch of flowers when you see her next?
What simple things can you do each day to connect with your community, your friends and neighbours?
As Atticus tells Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird,
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around it”.
The art of compassion, of kindness, of putting yourself in someone’s shoes…this is how you can engage online and in real life.
You want to engage online, build your community and expand your reach…do exactly the same things that you do in real life!
Notice what people around you are saying and doing.
Be kind and considerate.
Notice who needs help.
The simple act of noticing what’s going on around you will instinctively help you know what to blog about, how to comment and be known as a person who’s as fabulous online as you are in real life.
