During the time of COVID-19, many business owners are frustrated that their revenues have decreased, and they are working to adapt quickly through updating their business and possibly providing new services. It is critical for a business to continue to build relationships. We are not talking about your personal profile but rather your business relationships. While we have to social distance, why not work on building relationships using social media? Here’s a great definition on building relationships found on a website about the Excellence in Arts Practice: “Building relationships is about your ability to identify and initiate working relationships and to develop and maintain them in a way that is of mutual benefit to both yourself and the other party” (https://participatoryartslearning.wordpress.com/the-competency-wheel-and-levels/building-relationships/). The key piece is that a relationship is a two-way street.
One key relationship building tool that we all have access to is social media. While we may have to social distance, we can continue to build business and personal relationships on our social media accounts.
- Add Value: Social media for many people is simply about posting something with no particular aim in mind. Building a relationship is about adding value to another person or business. Think through what you are creating and plan your posts for the week.
- Engage: Don’t just post on your account and forget about it. When people comment, make sure you reply to them. Go to group pages (even if they aren’t your group) and interact. Maybe you will meet someone new who might be a potential client or strategic partner.
- Create a Group on Facebook: Facebook has become a pay to play platform where less and less of your followers actually see your status updates. Want to engage further and interact with key people? Create a group. This allows you to invite specific people to a group that is focused around your business service or activity. Depending on your business, it could be as simple as structuring a group to help your customers get through COVID-19.
- Hashtags: Use Hashtags especially on platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and even Facebook. Are you stuck on what hashtags to use? On Instagram, you can do a search for key hashtags for your particular business. Want to be more unique? Check out these websites below. Hashtags can bring you new traffic that you wouldn’t have had before.
- LinkedIn: If your clients are businesses, don’t forget about LinkedIn. This can be a great place to make you or your company the expert in your field. You can also find some great opportunities for strategic alliances as well. Don’t make the mistake of connecting with someone and immediately soliciting that person. That is done way to often and is not effective. Review other posts, add comments and interact with other people you might like to speak with prior to reaching out.
Many of us (I am included) love to get on Facebook or Instagram and catch up on friends’ lives. Social media is so much more than a personal platform if you use it right. Building relationships using social media presents a great opportunity during this time where we are practicing social distancing. Remember that a key point to building relationships is providing value to another person or business.
As someone who has been in similar situations before, I understand the confusion and uncertainty that can arise when someone’s social media relationship status doesn’t match their partner’s. It’s natural to wonder what’s going on and whether there are underlying issues in the relationship.
However, it’s important to remember that social media profiles don’t always reflect the reality of a relationship. While it’s possible that there may be complications or disagreements that one partner is hesitant to publicly acknowledge, it’s also possible that the difference in status is simply a reflection of personal preferences or misunderstandings.
Rather than relying solely on social media to understand the status of a relationship, it’s important to communicate openly and honestly with one’s partner. By discussing each other’s expectations and concerns, couples can work towards a clearer understanding of where they stand with each other, both online and offline. Ultimately, the strength of a relationship is determined by the trust, communication, and mutual respect between partners, rather than by their social media profiles.