During this annual season of giving,  consider commending others via Facebook and LinkedIn. Such commendations honor those people and companies that have served you well during the past year.

 

Here are some tips for how to do it:

 

Commending Others on Facebook

Review people or companies on their business page just as you might post reviews on Yelp or Google.

• Start by searching for the person or company’s business page.
• You will find the Reviews option on the left side of the page. Some business pages will not have it available, but hopefully most will.
• Click on the word Reviews and select the number of stars you want to give them – five is the highest.
• Then write a short note about the specific things you appreciate. It must be at least 50 characters, but there doesn’t seem to be a maximum.
• If you have already rated their service in the past, post a short note directly on the page. You can also do this if they have their page set so it doesn’t give you the option to review.
• Include photos if you can. For example, if you’re delighted with your new hair style, take a photo of yourself. Then include the photo with your note of appreciation on your hair stylist’s business page. (Note: not all owners of business pages allow others to post on their page.) You can also post this note on your own personal page.
• Share updates from their business page to your own timeline. Include a note telling your Facebook friends how awesome the service provider is and why. If you share updates on your own page, be sure to “tag” the name of the page you’re sharing from. If you are friends with an individual, you can also do this for the name of the person.

 

Commending Others on LinkedIn

Essential note: you must be connected with someone on LinkedIn in order to endorse a skill or write a recommendation.

• To endorse someone, search for their profile and scroll down to the Skills and Endorsements section.
• Then click on the + sign to the right of the skill(s) you want to endorse. It’s important to be selective and endorse only things you know they are good at.
• To recommend someone, search for their profile. Then click on the arrow to the right of the button that says Send Message. Select Recommend from the drop down options and follow the steps provided.
• Make sure to select the appropriate position when writing a recommendation. That way you will attach the recommendation to the right job within their profile. Luckily, if you choose the wrong one, you can remove it and start over in the right spot.
• Another option is to write a recommendation and send it directly via LinkedIn’s messaging system or email. Using this approach gives the person you are recommending the chance to give you feedback. They can tell you if you omitted something, had a typo, or did anything else that needs to be changed. This way, when you post the recommendation to LinkedIn, you know the person will be happy with it.

 

How About You?

In what ways have you used Facebook or LinkedIn to commend people for providing great service? If you are a service provider, what types of commendations have meant the most to you?

 

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 50 and up, to become more comfortable using social media, especially Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter.

She works with business owners, business development professionals, leaders of nonprofit organizations, job seekers, retired people, consultants, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.