You can find this article in full at Thrive Global:
It’s common knowledge that a great teacher will build positivity into a group in a way that encourages individual contributions. A talented social media professional will do the same, yet marketing rarely looks to the psychology of learning when seeking to encourage sharing and interaction. As a social media writer for clients like the amazingly talented Dorie Clark—author of Reinventing You, Stand Out, and Entrepreneurial You, all of which I highly recommend—I often draw on what I learned from my years of classroom teaching and psychology studies, when interacting on social. If you seek to build a community around your brand that is positive, expressive, and eager to share, the following tips from learning psychology can prove powerful.
The most important words aren't always "thank you!": Gratitude is vital on social media and elsewhere, but as many classroom teachers are aware, specificity is everything. In the classroom, a global statement like, “Good job!” is less effective than a specific one, such as, “I’m impressed with how quietly you’re reading today,” or, “It’s great that your concentration is improving.” Anyone can say “Good job!” whereas specific thanks proves genuine appreciation and is more effective as positive reinforcement. In other words, when students specifically know what they’ve achieved, they are more likely to produce more of the same—and that's because specific praise truly proves our worth. (Check out this post from Intervention Central, which summarizes the research that underpins the psychology in this article.)
So, on social media, when you truly want to honor people, it can help to be specific in your thanks
[Read the full article at Thrive Global.]
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Image: Bethan, via Creative Commons.