Are You Building Your 'Follow-Me' or 'Ignore-Me' Count?

Like is one of those interesting words that the meaning changes as you get older, or more experienced in this game we call life.

As a baby, it often refers to the foods and toys that you like. As a child, adults try to teach us to like everyone in our class. It also begins to refer to colors, activities and subjects that we enjoy. Then there is that first time we like a particular boy or girl more than we like others!

As a tween and teen, like seems to have become a linking verb which personally I do not understand and think it makes people sound incompetent. But anyway, other than that, by the time people reach their teen and adult years, like is a very down-played word without much meaning or an ability to carry much weight.

Until the invention of social media! Now like has been given a whole new potential!

How many things, businesses, or concepts can a person like? How do I get people to like me? Because I like you, you need to like me.

Wait hold on! That last one gets me every time, “because you like me, I NEED to like you.” Nope sorry it doesn’t work that way! Social media is about being social—simply put. I will like you, IF I actually like you, your business, the concept you promote or if I am interested in your business, you, or the concept you are promoting.

Think about it, do you walk up to strangers on the street, get in their face and say, “LIKE ME.” Not asking them, but telling them. Well, do you? Your answer is probably no.

The same thing is true in social media—don’t tell someone they have to like you. Think of it this way, do your kids do everything you tell them to? Again your answer is probably no, because people don’t like to be told what to do. They like to make their own decisions and feel they are getting something from it.

Also, the only thing that getting people to like you who really don’t like you does is increase the number of people who are ignoring you. If you are looking to increase your ‘ignore me’ count then this is the best strategy on the market!

So if you want someone you don't know to like you, give them a reason or see if you can collaborate with them on something. Offer to build a relationship with them, and then you will be amazed at how receptive and supportive people and businesses really are.