Now that we understand why divisive content tends to spread on social media, you’re probably wondering how we can make it better. Wouldn’t it be great if we could close out of each app with a smile on our face instead of a headache?

After months of anxiety-producing news, we could all use some content that makes us feel optimistic about our world again. With a few tweaks, anyone can overcome the human tendency toward negativity and instead make positive messages shine through. Read on below for our tips on how to spread positivity, respect and kindness on your newsfeed.

1. Say thank you.

Anytime another user leaves a comment on your social media post, gives you a review or sends a direct message, take time to personally thank them. It’s a simple thing to do and only takes a few seconds. Responding to each comment shows that you’re listening to your followers and encourages them to leave more positive messages in the future. If the comment happens to be critical, try to take the conversation to a private direct message or email. Using a direct line of communication can help you solve the issue more efficiently and shows you care enough to spend time talking one-on-one.

As important as it is to say, “thank you,” it’s just as valuable for us to give others a reason to feel gratitude, too. Take the initiative yourself to leave nice messages on other users’ or companies’ posts. Be a leader in sharing positive notes and, hopefully, others will pay it back to you.

2. Show that you care.

On the other hand, you may have loyal customers or trusted business partners that you haven’t talked to in a while. If you haven’t already, connect with them on social media and leave them a nice comment or send a direct message to catch up. They’ll appreciate that you went out of your way to think of them and reach out. They may even tell their other friends how touched they were at your thoughtfulness, and your community of uplifting users will grow.

3. Provide help whenever you can.

Each day, spend a few minutes monitoring your newsfeeds and groups for users who have asked questions related to your industry. If you see a discussion on Twitter that you can add value to, or a question asked in a LinkedIn Group, jump in and share your expertise. Helping others find the answers they’re looking for is another way to show how much you care about them. You may even inspire the people you help to pay it forward and help more users, and to remember your brand the next time they need advice.

To find people who are asking relevant questions on Twitter, try following a Twitter Topic related to your industry. For instance, a lawn care company might follow gardening topics, while a brand selling baby products could follow parenting topics. Twitter will automatically post tweets related to those topics in your newsfeed for you to browse and reply to. You can also regularly search for relevant hashtags and keywords to find applicable tweets. You should also double check your notification settings to make sure you’ll be alerted when someone tags your brand’s account. This way, you won’t miss an opportunity to directly interact with your audience.

4. Support the causes you care about.

On social media, you have the opportunity to use your platform to support social causes, nonprofits and charities you feel are worth highlighting. You can lift up these important voices and introduce your followers to amazing organizations they may not be aware of. Brands who showcase organizations doing good for our world can be a catalyst for spreading that goodness even further. To find out more about supporting social causes, check out our recent article.

Before you hit send on your message, be aware that posting about a social cause or nonprofit may attract people to your comments section who hold differing views. Address and respond to their opinions respectfully, and only report them if they’re being offensive or hurtful. Otherwise, thank them for adding to your discussion and let them know you’ve heard their voice.

5. Share uplifting content.

When we’re having a tough day, sometimes all it takes is a simple uplifting social media post to turn our mood around. It might be an inspiring story, a lighthearted meme or just an adorable puppy photo. Even if it’s not directly related to your business, post or share these messages when they cross your path. People will appreciate seeing photos and messages that make them smile. These posts will reinforce your brand’s positive view of the world and highlight other people who are also spreading joy in our world. We could all stand to see more kind words and funny videos shared on our newsfeeds.

6. Surround yourself with other positive influences.

If you follow an account that is constantly complaining and posting hurtful messages, either hide their posts or unfriend them. There’s no need to fill your newsfeed with people who provide no value and only spread negativity. Instead, follow users who start valuable conversations, are respectful of others and lift people up. These are the people and discussion we should reward with our time.

If there’s an account that is truly causing harm, being offensive or spreading false information, remember to report them directly to the platform. Acting as a gatekeeper for this kind of hurtful content protects vulnerable users. Be careful not to overuse this privilege on posts you simply disagree with, but if a user is violating rules, be a leader and report them.

Social media doesn’t have to be a place that constantly brings you down. If each brand and individual took time to help each other, we could make each platform a constructive community instead of a negative spiral. With these tips in mind, we can start making social media a more positive and productive place to be.