What is Common Sense Empathy?
Social media managers often lose sight of what social media is, in favor of reaching metrics that may or may not mean something. Too often, they seek optimization of metrics without a full understanding of what those metrics actually mean, or if those metrics actually represent what they seem to. They think of social media as a microphone, seeking to reach the most people, and not as a connector.
Social media is not about metrics. It’s not about like counts or reach or going viral. It’s about actually making connections, strong connections, to those who care about your content, be it simply for entertainment, a cause, candidate, or business. Sure, reaching a zillion people will boost the content and Page, but for how long? Building strong connections with those who truly care about your Page is far more sustainable, and valuable, in the end.
Common Sense Empathy helps you do that. It focuses not on metrics, but on the individual. It was built for moderation, but it provides a great deal more than simply moderating the trolls. From seeing what individuals care about, to see their comment history, we gain a deeper understanding of the individual, not as some anonymized data point, but as a real person.
From voter outreach, to volunteer building, to simply engaging with followers in a more personal manner, this information can be invaluable in building a strong community.
Social media is not about a one way line of communication. Even if the author of the Page does not engage with their followers, the followers will be engaging with each other. This can be great for the brand, or devastating. If the followers simply fight, or the trolls are allowed to harass your supporters, the Page is now fostering an environment that harms their brand and their most loyal supporters. Why would anyone want to create an environment where their best supporters are constantly harassed and therefore, silenced?
Sure, without Common Sense Empathy, moderation of the comments on a Facebook Page is nearly impossible, and even with a tool like CSE, it requires investing a bit of time. But without that investment, one is simply wasting their efforts on social media. Without empathy for their users, one is simply renouncing common sense.
Facebook, and all social media, is not meant to be a microphone, but a connector…
If you’d like to give CSE a try, reach out to signup <at> csempathy <dot> app
