This week’s blog posts are based on frequent questions asked by our Everly Ambassadors.  Want to become an Everly Ambassador?  Apply today.  We’ll be accepting applications starting March 2018.

Social media gives users the power to connect, engage, gain more followers, and influence others.  It can be a place for positivity, diversity, and support.  However, social media can also lead to bullying, negativity, insecurity, and low self-esteem, especially for teen and tween users.

How can you use social media to spread positivity to yourself and others? 

Everly Mag is here to help.  Below are 5 valuable tips to channel the positive power of social media and help brighten your followers’ days with your optimistic posts.

Tip 1: Define positivity.

In our post about how to gain more Instagram followers, we talked about deciding on a clear, core message for your social media account.  In this case, your message is positivity.

Ask yourself: What is positivity?  It could be:

• Sending love to people you care about,
• Cheering people up when they’re feeling sad,
• Becoming more confident and accepting your insecurities,
• Having an optimistic attitude toward life’s challenges,
• Being kind to others, no matter who they are or how they act,
• Or taking advantage of new adventures, connections, and opportunities.

Once you’ve defined what positivity means to you, be sure that your bio, username, and social media posts reflect this message.

Tip 2: Use your posts for positive outreach.

If your goal is to spread positivity on social media, remember that your message needs to reach out to others.  Consider how to create content that is universal to your followers and supports others who may need a little positivity.

Here are some strong examples of positive outreach:

• A quote about kindness or positivity that a lot of people can relate to,
• A photo of a celebrity or role model who is creating a positive impact on the world,
• A link to a charity or organization that is promoting online positivity,
• A calming picture with a caption about how you handle insecurities,
• And a story about how you spread positivity in your own life that can inspire others to take action.

If your posts are consistent and stick to your positive message, they are sure to resonate with others and help create a larger community.

Tip 3: Challenge your followers.

Campaigns, contests, and challenges can be surprisingly effective in calling your followers and their friends to raise awareness and take action.  Remember the 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness for ALS?  The Ice Bucket Challenge, completed over social media platforms, raised 115 million dollars for the disease.

Consider creating a social media campaign that will help spread your message of positivity and encourage your followers to support others who are in need.  A great place to start is by applying to become an Everly Ambassador.

Open to teens and tweens ages 9-19, our ambassadors complete monthly tasks to help spread kindness, confidence, and empowerment across their own social media platforms.  Our ambassadors commit to the Everly Pledge and promise to live the message of positivity in their online and offline lives.

Tip 4: Stay out of drama.

When you’re busy creating positivity on social media, it can be tempting to call out those who use their account to spread negativity and hatred.

Social media users will often respond to an offensive or disliked post by ganging up in the comments, “exposing” the account they don’t like, or encouraging their followers to unfollow this user.

Exposing is never a good idea.  Here’s why:

• It contributes to a culture of calling-out and discomfort.
• It can often lead to cruelty and meanness that is uncalled for.
• It makes somebody feel bad, no matter who that person it.
• It doesn’t give the user the chance to change their mind.
• It creates the mentality that social media is negative and unhealthy.
• It makes you part of the problem instead of the solution.

If you want to inspire others with a message of positivity, you need to be positive yourself.  That means staying out of situations that have the potential for drama, even if they make you feel angry or upset.

If a post upsets you, you have the right to unfollow or block the account, and talk to your close friends or a trusted adult about why the content made you unhappy.  If you like a person but disagree with the person’s opinion, you can use social media to engage in a constructive and respectful conversation where you share ideas and listen to the other person’s point.

If a post is dangerous, threatening, or contains inappropriate content, be sure to report the account to the social media platform itself and alert an adult. 

Tip 5: Show your followers you care.

Spreading positivity doesn’t start with a desire to get more followers.  It started with a genuine desire to combat insecurity, meanness, and bullying with kindness, care, and genuine connection.

You may want to spread positivity around the world, but your journey starts with the people you already know.

Here are some simple, effective ways to live your message:

• Encourage followers to compliment one another.
• Shoutout followers who display positivity on their own social media.
• Follow other accounts that encourage kindness and compliment them on what they are doing!
• Reach out to followers who are struggling with a school project, friendship difficulties, a life transition, or any type of insecurity.
• Check in with people after they’ve had a stressful time to ask if there’s anything you can do.

Above all, be sure to take care of yourself.  You can’t spread positivity if you don’t have any to give!  Positivity starts within, when you accept your insecurities and are willing to be vulnerable with others.

You will truly spread your message when you are living proof of the benefits of an optimistic and kind outlook.

Good luck, and remember: You are deserving of kindness and confidence. You are worth it.

Want to help spread positivity on social media?  Apply to join our community of Everly Ambassadors today. 

This blog post was written by Everly Mag © 2018.  All Rights Reserved.

Feature Image Credit: Everly Mag