Your VIBE attracts your TRIBE in sales and social media




“Class is an aura of confidence that is being sure without being cocky. Class has nothing to do with money. Class never runs scared. It is self-discipline and self-knowledge. It's the sure-footedness that comes with having proved you can meet life. ” 
~ Ann Landers


However it may seem strange that I rarely have comments on my blogs, I am often invited to answer questions on QUORA (link below). 

 Sometimes I think about my answer, while other times I just let my mind go free and respond instinctively to what comes immediately to mind as in this case when I was invited to answer this question. 

Ironically, as well.  I spend the least time on InstaGRAM than anywhere else and yet it is the topic I seem to have grabbed the attention of some who value my opinion.  Thank you.  Happy to help.  Here goes:





Why do my Instagram followers keep dropping?

Hmmm, very curious question. My first immediate reaction was a question: “what could this person be posting if they are seeing their followers drop?” Without question, social media can sometimes seem fickle when it is really not. This question bodes a suggestion to examine what you are posting …. if you are only sharing your last meal, and you didn’t cook it or it’s half eaten, unappetizing-looking or just plain “gross”. Other considerations may be that others may find that you have constant posts that are self-serving or promotional :: aka “spam”. People tend to gravitate towards sincerity, ingenuity, originality, beauty and inspiration. That is only my opinion. However, I do believe strongly that your following is a reflection of what you are sending out.


Don’t despair. Being fickle can also mean you can reinvent yourself easily. I would advise you to decide what you want to be known for or identified with and setting out to do just that. Or, if you have a specific interest that is not career, family, friends or social oriented, this is a great way of gravitating towards that interest, sharing it, finding sources or resources on that topic and then share it … you can check for #hashtag popularity or observe what seemingly popular people are posting. If that seems to capture your interest, it could be good advice to follow them and observe them from a distance and see if you can pick up any great habits or even share that person’s content as a means to cast your own web to gather people who share the same vibe.

Caution: what may seem funny at 2 o’clock in the morning with your work buddies or friends may be more embarrassing at 2 o’clock the next afternoon. At your desk, avoiding eye contact with colleagues or worse if its a boss. Your online presence becomes your reputation. What doesn’t matter at 20, can be a nightmare at 40. So act your age if you must, but at least apply manners and a mom rule: if you can’t do it in front of your mother, or you risk being scolded by her, then it isn’t going to be appropriate for a wide, global audience. AND just because your mom likes the better parts of you, her opinion may be skewed …. be wary that others will like your stickmen as much as she does.

Be optimistic. There is a lot of great quotes, beautiful images, fantastic photography that are in style any time, any season. Be classy, be polite, be bold.


don't be a NINKOMPHpoof: practice the Golden Rule



Sometimes I really do find my fingers shake a bit to restrain myself from joining in and ranting like a lot of other people do when on social media. 

Other times, I sit back, I read, I click on links to read more.  I'm in learning mode then.  That can certainly settle me down a bit.  




However, one person I know very very well, and love very very much, in real life, knows that I'm not always so poised and restrained.  I did go on a flurry of reTWEETs earlier today.  

It could be virtually conceived by my reTWEETing I was reacting to what I was reading.  I was.  It upset me.  I had a "poor me" reaction.   The subject would know who I am talking about.  

Yet likely that person doesn't read this blog, or any of my blogs for that matter.  Doesn't read my Tweets, unfollowed me on Instagram, Facebook ages ago.  

Aha!  There was still a way to make connection:  I sent out a series of reTWEETs of that person's.  That was after finding out that this beloved RELATIVE (yes, it is a family member, which makes it more sensitive you'd think?) UNFOLLOWed me on Twitter too!  I did whine by sending one previous tweet to a Twitter notorious person who was one of my first influencial follow backs on there had just unFOLLOWed me.  

I was a lot more calmer at that point.  Although I was perplexed how someone with almost 300,000 followers on Twitter actually takes the time to unFOLLOW someone who you had been side by side for almost seven years with.  

You think they're ticked off after that much time?  Well, hardly since the last interaction I was supporting something they were working on.  Granted, that had been quite a number of months ago.    

Maybe they figured out that I had found a great APP or social media tool that helps me better define my audience, they would be right.  

That I'd written a little bit more about takers on social media who take, ask, want, post for you to like or reTWEET and then basically ignore you any other time.  That goes with the territory.  Just because someone follows you on any of them, there is no small type agreement that you are signing to promise that you will read, like, share, comment, rePIN, rePOST or reTWEET everything that individual does.

Can you imagine the drastic plummeting of following if that were the law?  If the reversal of these images were true and it was social media that became cobwebs and tumble weeds?





Imagine the loss of blogs, books, ebooks, audiobooks, pages, websites dedicated to telling people how to use social media for their greater purpose, regardless of what that is, for example:

* More readers
* More viewers
* More consumers
* More buyers
* More applause
* More followers
* More hashtags
* More page views
* More subscribers

What would happen if you could only follow someone that you promised to endorse, support, champion, read, share, like, comment 100% all of the time.  Who could keep up?




Possibly the takers, because they are already conditioned to taking without offering anything in return.

I'm not saying both of my Twitter twitches today were like that.    Only one, because of the long term following compared to the actual number of followers this person has, how could they have conceivably singled me out to unfollow?  I thought I was well within the positive engagement radar.  



I have preached a lot about the Golden Rule:  treat others as you wish to be treated yourself.  In the world of karma credits, if you unfollow someone for some obscure reason, you are not treating others as you wish to be treated.  In fact, you may want others to feed your ego, tell you how fantastic you are, share your stuff, like it, subscribe, repost and share.  




For that I may have been guilty.  Maybe I haven't been as "engaged" lately as this person had decided.    I hadn't been rude, or annoying either.

Well, maybe I have been annoying.  I have used this fantastic social media service that has allowed me to be better engaged with those reaching out to me while revealing who is just a taker.



Know where to start from




Where is the magical button on social media where you just press <enter> and off you go into the stratosphere?

There is none.
There were none when I started either.  Any new social media corner there were signs with advice on which turn to make.  LEFT or RIGHT ..... which could end up being RIGHT or WRONG.

Right it is
To assume right as the likely choice since we use the same word in both situations.




Resistance
There are so many more resisting factors, fears, concerns time 100s to the ones who are actually on here.

Where is here?
Where you are when you read this:  at home on your PC, laptop, tablet?  Scrolling around sensitized and on high alert for something interesting to appeal to you in that split second it takes you to react to that magical CLICK.




To journey
To arrive here, you will have had to be comfortable enough to have an internet connection and at the very least an email/service provider.

The starting line
Would be your interpretation of how you will use that device:  to chill out, to search for something, to check something ... whether it be a fact, a source, a resource, a review, a picture, a story.  




Reach out
That is when you reach out:  when you are looking for something.  Somehow, somewhere somebody (I'd bank of Google) is amassing all those queries or search terms and dividing and conquering sourcing that one top reply.

Replies to multiple
Within that algorithm, there most likely dwells a key identifier that would suggest which ones are the most popular responses by site.  In other words, which one of the choices is clicked on most often.  An from that, extrapolate which ones held the audience the most captive the longest.




That's the sort of information 
Anyone who is a knowledge junkie or fact checker to support their blog would be found.

I'm a big fan of numbers
Which I just really recognized by self-discovery by examination of answering this one question:  What do you want?




What you want
Is not one singular thing.  There is no magical way of blinking here one moment into time travel and advancement to a now where you've arrived at that answer.

There are steps
Whether you are climbing a Mount Everest metaphor-like obstacle in life, you don't just go *poof* and you are there.

Even in the movies
There are steps to creating a movie.  Without an idea, there would be no script that is needed to create a vision, where there are phases from pre-production to assembling the team to arrive on location, are numerous intricate steps.




I could define
how to answer that one question.  What do I want?  Too many offshoots of questions and avenues of learning needed to be gliding around before I could answer that.  You see, there are four words there that you are answering and need to be broken down:

What?
What is the end point, best that could happen if Utopia were uncovered by being able to say confidently, that you know what the WHAT was, is, or meant.

  • WHAT would it look like?
  • WHERE would you be?
  • WHAT will you be doing?
  • WHO will you be doing it with?
  • WHO will you be doing it for?
  • Is there a WHY you include as part of WHAT?
  • WHEN will you be doing this?  
  • NOW? What does your picture look like?
  • IF NOT NOW, WHY not?  This only means that you are procrastinating, lacking the confidence, or lost your sense of belief in what you are able to accomplish.


DO
Phew.  We're only on the second of four words.  Bet you didn't realize that, being so caught up in the pauses between questions and definitions above.  Hard word.  You bet.  Wait till you have to bring out a pen and write it down, with your answer right after.  No pushing off, procrastinating, avoiding or not DOing.  What are the questions you can think of that merge with DO?  Give it a try:

  • DO you believe in yourself?  If not, what is holding you back?  What needs to be done so that you will?
  • DO you have emotional support?  A loved one, a family member, a mentor, coach, cheerleader?  OK, write down each one and then name who has that role in your life.  If you do not have someone in that role, then it is your responsibility to find someone for each one.  You may as well stop until you have a few people in your corner, be your guide and cheerleader cheering you on.  You need these people if there are obstacles.  Obstacles seem insurmountable unless you are able to divide and conquer.  Break it apart one boulder at a time or as a dynamic explosion, or smashing the bottle of champagne against a boat, cutting the ribbon to commemorate the opening.  You need to know who will be there to help you celebrate.  OR, at the times when you feel failure or have failed in some way.  Who is going to pick you up, nurse you back to health, inspire you to get back up again, or motivate you because of one reason or another?
  • WHAT will you DO?  What are you doing when you are at "what do you want?"  Sailing the Caribbean with a captain and crew to navigate to sunny waters, catch lobster and cook it for you?  A bottle of champagne for cocktails after refreshing in classic evening attire with elegance.  Responding to emails here and there throughout your vacation called life, to keep the other part of what you DO continually working on your behalf.
  • DO you work or do you work at not working too hard?  
  • DO you have plenty of love and attention in your life that negates risk, risky behavior, risky thoughts?
YOU
So many of us have a hard time defining ourselves.  Not too difficult to describe our physical selves with something to reference our every single waking moment.  Can you write a bunch of questions or descriptions that would allow you to define who YOU is?  Is there more soul searching required to examine what makes you jump up in the morning and seize the day?  The great news is that when you know how to answer that important question:  "what do you want?" you will very likely be quite comfortable, confident and objective on who YOU are.

WANT
Can be often misguided to material things like houses, cars, boats, travel homes, clothing, jewelry, toys like electronic devices, smartphones, computers, gadgets, tools, and anything that is an object defined by ownership.  



LIFE
How do you want to see your life will present a much more satisfying way of answering or describing the WANT.  Do you see yourself surrounded by a lot of immediate family with a spouse and kids and even their kids, grandchildren?  What is the setting or event that got you all assembled there?  Or are you alone because that is what satisfies you:  seeker of peace, quiet, mediation and prayer.  

Perhaps
In a subconscious fashion, this is about a journey of my own.  Stopping to smell the roses.  Take a deep breath and take the next steps in the uphill climb.

REALIZATION
There are many ah-ha moments that can pop out from the core.  Letting go of tension and fear.  Allowing yourself moments of pause that allows you to embrace appreciation.  Then, express gratitude and thanks to all who have joined you throughout, or stopped in once or once in a while.  Thank YOU has such a widespread benefit.  It is free.

BRAZIL
For the past number of months, my statistics, kindly provided by Google because I am steadfast in using their Blogspot platform, learning more and more about the advantages.  (See comments at the end).  I have been shown, time and time again, that my most loyal blog readers are from Brazil.  


Attached to a Tweet that said:
"Gracias to #Brazil and #Mexico #Argentina #Spain  






Give credit to where it is due.  In this case, I see how having my blog is a much smarter move than the obvious.  I am on Tumblr which posts like you are a blogger however more picturesque, but I am also on Word Press and I had thought originally a much more close knit, collaborative crew.  That is warm and fuzzy for sure.  But how about Google's translation GADGET?  What other blogs have the capability to translate into other language?

BREAKTHROUGH
Bouncing beyond the obvious to the revolutionary.  Google is way ahead of the pack by allowing bloggers to allow their readers to translate into their own tongue.  If I wanted to read a blog that was not caught up in politics and news, there may be fewer to chose from in the Latino language?  This is don't know for sure.  It is only a guess.  Whatever the specific reason, I do know that I have had a great number of Latino supporters hailing from those countries like Brazil.  Even nicer when they're all working together with Spain, Mexico and Argentina.  Quite the powerful sources for a Latino engine.

THANK YOU.
For whatever brings you here.  Appreciation and respect for making it this far.  The end of this blog.  Leaving lots more thoughts for another day.



Without you, the reader, the clicker, I would have no reason to write.  Other than to exude demons that surface more readily once you hit 50.  You know you lived a fairly charmed life, that was not perfect, with its own doses of rejection, betrayal, hurt, disappointment, aggrieved, cheating, unfairness.

It is the ability to bounce back is what sets some apart.  A resilient coping super power! 

The "goodest" of intentions pour from these fingertips.  No direct malice towards anyone inclined.  Just the freedom of expression.

I watched something on TV the other night that has lingered in my psyche:  about this woman from New York who was committed passionately about making urban cities all about its people, neighborhoods.  She wrote a lot about her misgivings and projections and recommendations.  So much so, CITIZEN JANE [ yay I remembered ... my "sometimers meter is set to high" ] I will get her name and come right back to insert, even find a trailer to share.

What was remarkable was her commitment to her belief.  Or, one could evaluate and extrapolate their own theory:  that tenacity is a wonderful quality and character trait.  Far more uncommon in a female than a male.  Making an encounter with this extraordinary lady, you may become immediately intimidated by how smart she is, or at least so knowledgeable about her trade.  

Qualities that are the best to start from while growing and blossoming (geez, not two m's and one s).   To reach deep inside yourself, through meditation or deep reflection with piercing observation, to put out there your great intent.  Solve a problem, serve people, create things, capture things, share things ... and so on and so forth.

FACEBOOK friends


Research
If you really want to start to categorize and ultimately decide which is your favorite platform, you need to take a look at your surroundings.  I reached out to my Facebook Friends to ask them that earlier this evening.



Engagement
If you really want to ensure you have engagement with your friends on Facebook, use the "TAG" feature.  Don't worry, it is completely fine and acceptable.  Except if you have a giHUGE list of friends.  



Scale
You can scale back on TAGging those friends who express displeasure at being among your TAGs.  Yes it generates a lot of notifications, that would be for sure.



Climb
You can't possibly know whether your numbers are increasing or decreasing without examining your stats.  Each soME provider, from Twitter to Google to Facebook, offer free stats to decipher and relate to those numbers in a way in which they communicate.



Communicate
I started this blog 6 years ago, diving into sales and talking about some of the habits, outlook, observations I had while enjoying the acclaim, compensation and recognition with awards and rewards.  You're right, I love(d) sales.  I enjoyed the strategy and the figuring out "what will it take?"  I've realized now, past tense times 10 that the real secret was being able to communicate:  in written form, in presentation pizzazz or bellowing oration injected with enthusiasm.  



Enthusiasm
Is far more contagious than a positive attitude.  Someone can have a fantastic, positive attitude.  However, it takes communication to make an impact.  Some managers feel threatened by a gregarious nature.  Heck, they should embrace it.  Discover how easier it makes their life when the team spirit is channeled collaboratively in such a fashion that nobody really knows who is creating it.  Except a few, perhaps.  Maybe ....



Friends
My Facebook Friends are the most engaged in all the networks that I belong to.  If I share a post or an image or a quote, I can always guarantee of an acknowledgement of some kind.  In fact, Google's kind analytics show me that Facebook referrals are the highest.  I've yet to figure out who my champion from Brazil is because Brazil likes the most, if the traffic audience data shows me the where, I just wish I knew who the who was?



Gratitude
Is an easy thing to express.  It reaches all ages, income bracket, age group, interest or demographic.  It is the first thing you learn to say when learning a new language.  If it falls after yes (oui) or no (non) that's okay.  However, MERCI I learned after danke, truth be told.  If you only post once in a while or once a week, at minimum, you can express thanks for nice service from a particular brand or provider.  



Champion
The cause of championship is by leading by example.  Demonstrate how nice and peaceful and easy it is to be a person who consistently gives thanks.  

Language
Barriers are minimized or eliminated with gratitude because most people across the globe can say thank you in more than one language.  

English
Is the most common language in our world.  But for that to be true, I will have to detour for a fact check.  After all, it could be Chinese by now or even surpassed by Spanish.  Latin is a forgotten art.  Does anyone study it anymore?


Quotes
Are a great way to motivate oneself, but it has far more reaching benefits when it is shared.  Finding an image to accompany it can POP for attention.  People love to share great images with craftily, gracefully embedded text within them.  Art.  Photography.  Chicken scratch.  All accepted.



Colors 
Can portray moods.  Seriousness, somberness, sadness, moodiness, depressive aura is often considered with black and white images with a strong grey force.  Yet so is high fashion.  We can define our moods or our interpretation of a meaning by the colors we choose to accompany them.

Thanks for stopping in *^* jm xo