Givers Gain in Social Media

During a social media discussion with a client who builds custom cabinetry, they mentioned the outpouring of annoying emails they had received regarding a photo from their website that had been pinned on Pinterest and had gone viral. The photo depicted a backsplash on a kitchen bar that was created using corks. All of the referrals she said, were ‘do-it-yourselfers’ who wanted the how-to information and didn’t want to hire their company.

I launched into my spiel that compares social media to being invited to someone’s home for dinner.

In short, an invited guest one would:

• • Never show up empty-handed
  • Would to be a good conversationalist
  • Would never monopolize the situation … all in hopes of being invited back again and again.

The attention generated on Pinterest was in fact a GREAT thing. Rather than being annoyed, I suggested that they offer solutions to those interested in duplicating the design.

There’s no harm in sharing a few secrets of the trade in order to build trust and become an authority in your field. There’s no doubt that givers gain on social media platforms.