Be a Professional {Stop Arguing on the Internet}

It is not an easy time to be a social media manager – mostly because I LIVE on the Internet, so I see alllll the things that people are saying day in and day out. No matter how you feel about this COVID-19 situation, there’s one thing that I want you to take away from it: don’t argue with strangers on the internet. Coming from someone who regularly has to pull herself away from the keyboard reading comments while watching the Governor’s press conferences, I know that it’s easy to want to make everyone believe what you believe, to feel what you’re feeling, but I’ve got news for you: when this is all over, people will remember the things that you’ve said. They’ll remember your negativity, they’ll remember your combativeness, they’ll remember the moaning and groaning versus the creativity and positivity that could’ve come out of this.

And if they won’t, I’m not going to lie- I will. I know it’s tough because you may not have your usual outlets. You can’t go to the gym, you can’t go hang with your friends, but you don’t have to let out that frustration at your keyboard at the expense of your reputation. Find another outlet. Go for a walk, read a book, FaceTime a friend, step away. Before you post, step away and decide if what you’re about to post is helping or hurting you and those around you.

Now is the time to be honest, but do it from a standpoint of trying to be better for everyone. Be a resource. Be positive in the face of adversity. Get creative and show people that your resilience can withstand this. A great business owner is one who can bring the community together. Here’s the deal: when this is all over, people are going to want to support the people who kept their spirits up and who were fighters and worked hard. They’ll want to support those people. BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.

I’ve been so encouraged and excited about the creativity that I’ve seen come out of this: the way that restauranteurs have changed their menus to accomodate this in the meantime, the way that people are adapting their business models to this way of life, the way that people are reaching out to their clients and being a resource for them. I’ve loved seeing businesses come together and try to work together for a greater good, seeing their customers go out of their way to support them whether it be monetarily, writing great reviews, or just spreading the word about their love for them. Be part of THAT movement, not the divisiveness that I keep seeing on the internet.

And above else, don’t argue with strangers (or friends, for that matter) on the Internet. Personal page, professional page – it doesn’t matter. Your colleagues will remember, your clients will remember. Don’t do it.

Awesome graphic by my talented friend Ceindy Doodles.