3asNo, not the motor club.

I was at a workshop today and was exposed to an article in HubSpot from January, 2014 titled “The Three A’s of Nonprofit Social Media Engagement.” It says:

“A common rule of thumb that’s now pervasive among brand marketers and savvy tech buffs is the so-called “rule of thirds.”

This rule states that tweets, posts, and status updates should fall into one of three categories and be spread more or less evenly between each:

  • 1/3 of posts should be about you or your brand
  • 1/3 of posts should be about your industry, with content from an outside source
  • 1/3 of your posts should be personal interactions”

So I read the article and thought to myself, why just nonprofits? This applies to everyone in every industry, so I “see” the article and “raise it one” and offer these thirds to you, one A at a time:

  • Appreciation: you can, and should, express yourself and act accordingly to send good karma to the ones around you who help make your personal learning network so valuable. Share material especially tuned to the individual or group you want to nurture. Let them know you care. They will return the favor back to you. You’ll see. It feels good to pay it forward.
  • Advocacy: show the value others have had on you, and help them in their mission or service by creating warm referrals and meaningful introductions. Think creatively to find common threads we all can hold on to, business and otherwise. This is holiday party time, so use the opportunity to meet new people and benefit from their POV, ask how you can advance their cause, and they will offer to reciprocate accordingly. Connect via LinkedIn to them once you feel they are a good fit for you, and you for them.
  • Appeals: ask for help (it’s OK, no matter how old or experienced you are!) and listen. Using open-ended questions, pose a dilemma to a LinkedIn group of experts in your field for their input. Heed the sage and voluntary advice they offer. Meet outside work, reach out. Oral conversation (alas, a dying art) is enriching when done well. So see how you can help others and ask them to assist you.

OK, none of this is rocket science. The article stirred my thoughts. I hope I have done the same to you.