The good side of social media and what businesses can do to be part of it!

This weekend I witnessed just how great social media can be. While it is already an amazing tool that allows me to keep in touch with friends across the different countries I have lived in, as of late it has been more of a source of pain as I watch the world starting to tear itself apart with politics and opinions that are to the extreme left or right of center.

This weekend I saw on my Twitter a photo appear of an elderly woman, posted by the Edmonds Police Department, the town next to mine growing up. The description said that she was missing, suffered from Alzheimers and last seen in this specific area. Anyone with information was asked to call the police.

In two hours she had been found and from what I can tell by the help of several people who had located her and relayed her location to the police department.

Had this been fifteen years ago, this might not have happened. We would not have been aware of her disappearance until the evening news, at which point it would have been dark, and in the US, it would have been cold since it is winter. Instead the community was aware within minutes and this poor soul located and back safely with her family.

While it is easy to get bogged down with injustice in the world (both real and perceived), photos of your friend who always seems to be on a tropical vacation, or the never-ending stream of quizzes to take, we need to focus on positives.

Businesses should also be focusing on these types of posts. While a missing grandmother has very little to do with a business of any size (short of a retirement community that looks after those who are suffering from Alzheimers), reposting/tweeting these helps the police and family members of that missing individual. Getting the word out might not bring in customers or retain business contracts, but it does show that you are not only part of a community, but your business cares about the community.