Seven Ways to Achieve a Five-Star Social Media Rating (If Ratings Existed)

Seven Ways to Achieve a Five-Star Social Media Rating (If Ratings Existed)

I’ll be honest, I have a pretty neutral attitude toward social media. Here’s what that means: While everyone seems to be using it, my return on investment has neither been amazing nor awful—just right in the middle. So, yeah, it’s pretty net neutral for me.

But if social media did have a rating system, like Uber or Lyft, here are seven ways to earn those coveted five stars. These tips mainly apply to LinkedIn, but they’re relevant for Twitter and Facebook too. Snapchat? Not so much.

1. Can You Post Something That Actually Speaks to Your Target Audience?
If you can, great! If not, can you resist posting anyway? Case in point: A friend of mine regularly shares news releases about debt restructuring in Class B office space. Trust me, that’s not my area of expertise. Many of us joined social media early on, often accepting every connection without filtering who we followed. Now’s a good time to clean up your connections and refine your audience. The digital world is just getting started, according to the experts, so there’s plenty of room to fine-tune.

2. Could You Share Something That’s Original or Unique?
Reposting the same tired memes is cute, but it contributes to the overwhelming noise on social media. There’s so much bad content out there that it’s hard to even summarize. Instead of liking every meme that pops up on your feed, reserve those likes for Facebook, not LinkedIn.

3. Why Do Big Brands Contribute to the Noise?
Big brands often try to appeal to everyone, which is nearly impossible. It’d be interesting to sit in on a marketing planning session where analytics experts present strategies that seem like common sense but no longer apply. What works in theory doesn’t always translate into reality. So, don’t try to reach everyone at once—focus on what really matters.

4. Why Should I Care That You Joined a Group?
Seriously, no one cares about your new group membership unless it’s relevant. If you’re constantly joining groups and broadcasting it, consider adjusting your settings. It’s just digital clutter.

5. Is There a Social Media Site Exclusively for Political Content?
Imagine a platform just for political content where the political junkies can debate all day. It would save the rest of us from endless political rants that really don’t belong in a professional setting. Unless your views are directly related to your professional experience, no one cares. You could make a bigger impact by simply walking your dog or doing something productive offline.

6. Connections Aren’t Always Friends
With all due respect to Facebook, not every connection is a friend, and not every friend is a connection. Remember the Crosby, Stills, and Nash song “Teach Your Children”? Teach your kids to be mindful of who they connect with online.

7. Keep It Short and Sweet
Let’s be real: only the most dedicated readers make it to the end of long posts—and even then, they probably won’t remember everything you said. People have short attention spans. Keep it brief and visual if you want your message to stick.

Lastly, I had an in-person meeting last year with an online expert who made a valid point about the importance of responding to posts. Ignoring a comment or post is like having an awkward, blank two-minute stare between two people. Try it next time you choose not to engage digitally—it’s way longer than you think!

And speaking of the internet—did you know Al Gore invented it? Just a fun fact.