A Virtual Thank You Note

You all know how I feel about thank you notes. (Not to mention unexpected acts of kindness, sweet words and general thoughtfulness in any capacity.)

It's tempting sometimes to maintain a cool front, but being "that girl" who says just what someone needs to hear is a lot more rewarding.

So write the note. Give the squeeze. Share the compliment. Be intentional about it, too - look for new ways to express your gratitude and add a bit of totally selfless sunshine into someone else's (possibly underappreciated, definitely stressed) life.

If you're looking for some ways to do this in the virtual realm, social media guru Chris Brogan recommends the following:

9 Simple Touchpoints of Loyalty
1. Comment on other people’s blogs as often as you can.
2. Reply to people or help them spread the word on Twitter and/or Facebook.
3. Write posts filled with admiration for people you enjoy online, and send links to their work.
4. Connect people with like-minded people before they ask (using LinkedIn or similar).
5. Wish people a happy birthday, or luck with their test, or other related-to-them encouragement.
6. Share job opportunities. You never know who’s looking for more when you’re drowning in too much.
7. Invite people to coffee. Just 20 minutes might really change someone’s day, week, month.
8. Write recommendations on LinkedIn to those whose work you can vouch for. Do it before they ask.
9. Send 10 emails a day to people you’re in danger of falling out of touch with, and make them simple and request-free.

I love that social media has such an impact on our lives; I love even more that people are finding ways to be "that girl" (you know, that sentimental, super-grateful one) and make the online world a more pleasant place to spend our time.

You can read more about Chris' suggestions here.