I’ve been meaning to write a post on Social Media Etiquette for a while now because it seems like some people still don’t get it or flat out don’t know how to act. Just because we are ‘socializing’ online, does not give you the right to have your way with me… (you know what I mean!)
Believe me when I say, I have a laundry list of Social Media Do’s and Don’ts but the ones I will share with you today, are the ones that really need to be addressed.
5 Social Media Etiquette Tips
Do Not Friend Me to Spam Me. This happens most often on Facebook. I’m very picky when it comes to the ‘friends’ I accept, however, once in a while a Clever Claire charms her way through.
You’ve met her (or him…I don’t discriminate) before. Her wall and friend list is set to private, her bio is pretty basic and lacks any real detail and though you don’t have much in common, you give her the benefit of the doubt because she adds a message along with her friend request telling you how much she admires what you do.
Once you hit the ‘accept’ button, BOOM…her wall is visible and you’ve noticed she’s added hundreds of people and has yet to share 1 wall post. If you don’t delete her right then, she begins to invite you to every ridiculous event and amazing opportunity under the sun.
Do Not Use My Wall as Ad Space. Yet another sleazy Facebook tactic that drives me up the wall (no pun intended!) It’s one thing when we have a relationship and you respectfully ask me beforehand if you can post something business related to my wall, but when you come to my page, greet me by name and post your ad about something I have NO interest in…it will get removed.
The worst part is going to their wall to see how you even know the person and find out they posted the same Ad on 50 other profiles, um…DELETE!
Give Credit Where Credit is Due. This is just a matter of simply respecting the knowledge and skills of others. If you come across a blog post, status update or any meaningful content and you want to share it with others, always reference and link to the person who originally posted it.
We all work hard at what we do and we need to have a “pay it forward” mentality, especially in the social media arena.
Selflessly Promote Others. This ties in with giving credit where credit is due. Social media extends to us the ability to connect with some wonderful people in all types of industries. We are able to almost effortlessly, meet and share with other business owners and entrepreneurs across the world.
So, go out of your way to willingly promote other people, their business and services with your network and circle of influence.
Please Do Not Beg Me to Join. I may be supermom to my children but by no means am I superwoman to the world; I cannot be everywhere all the time (even though it may seem like I am at times!)
I have no problem being invited to take a look at a group, new social community or even chatting about a business venture but, there is no way I can join every offer presented to me.
So if after a few weeks I have not jumped on board, please do not continue emailing or blowing up my inbox begging for me to ‘just check it out’ or see ‘what’s new’.
Think about it, if someone was interested in what you were offering, they will find a way to contact you or give you the thumbs up to contact them again…stop begging, it’s not a good look!
Now that my little social media etiquette rant is done, let me know what some of your tips are. Share your feedback!
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Tamyka! Everyone and their mother needs to read this post! Seriously! People forget that social media needs to be about relationships and people and Facebook isn’t a newspaper. loved it!
Thanks Stephanie, you are so right on…social media is about relationships! I’m glad you enjoyed reading it!
Great article. Social media is still evolving as so does the etiquette. I have to admit I’m still learning how to use social media as a tool for marketing and building relationships and I may have committed an offense (not intended). Since I made plenty of mistakes in the beginning I try to give others the benefit of the doubt.
However spam is a big NO-NO!
My pet peeve is when people make friend request and they don’t use a photo of themselves!
When making a friend request please use a photo of yourself, not your pet, not your logo, not strange parts of your body. I want to see I’m communicating with a real person.
Please don’t ask me to endorse your product or service if I don’t know you!
I think social media is great, fun and exciting and the best is yet to come.
With Grace and Charm,
Walethia
Thanks for your comment Walethia, you are the Queen of etiquette and must say, everything you do online is with class! You brought another great tip to light of endorsing products/services. How could someone expect to get honest feedback from someone they haven’t even established a relationship with?!?
Congratulations, Tamyka: You have addressed the elephant herd in the room! People on the internet have always thought that the rules don’t apply there. They insult, they cajole, and they act as if they were life insurance salespersons.
Thanks for bringing up the issue.
Thanks so much Roy! People have to realize that just because we are behind a screen they still need to conduct themselves as though we were networking face to face.
As a social media newbie I was glad to read that I hadn’t broken any of the rules!! This is definitely a great post for beginners to read and most likely a great post for experts to remind themselves! I enjoyed reading and will come back again!
Thanks Lori, I’m glad you enjoyed reading it and found it helpful!
Oh Tamyka! How I love this post! The worst part to me, is to think that someone may be teaching people that this is the way to conduct business! Social media is social. Lets have a real conversation! Thanks Tamyka!
Thank you Kari, it’s sad some people operate this way…hopefully they will learn that we do need to have real conversations and relationships!
Wow, you did it! You posted exactly what I think each and every morning when I log on. I do believe some people honestly don’t know that what they are doing is spamming. So i usually respond with a nice little note about knowing how excited they are about their (blah blah blah) and a different way to go about it. If they respect my wishes, I’ll keep them. If the next message or post I get is more spam…DELETE! I will be sharing for the world to read!
Bravo Lorrie! That’s awesome that you share that tip with those “breaking the rules”!
I am a fan of practicing and teaching social media etiquette. I write about it quite often on my own blog so it was nice to see another blogger’s perspective. Great tips!!
Thanks Lauren, I will have to check out your posts!
Hi Tamyka,
It’s great to see you address these issues. For those of us who spend a good part of our day on social media sites, these little things can become more than minor annoyances.
I honestly frequent Twitter more than Facebook, so I’m more familiar with lack of social skills that happen there. For instance:
If somebody retweets your post, this is a huge compliment. The very least you can do is to thank them. Even better, find one or more of their posts, and reciprocate. It’s just common courtesy.
And, just like with Facebook, have a recent picture of yourself. Yes, your kitty might be the most adorable creature that ever lived, but I honestly don’t care. I want to get a feel for who I’m communicating with.
Oh, and one more thing: If you send me information about your product or opportunity before you’ve bothered to learn the first thing about me, you will be unfriended/unfollowed/deleted.
This is awesome information. Thanks for bringing it up. Talk soon.
Gregory
Thanks Gregory, you offer some great tips as well! It is common courtesy to at the very least, thank someone for retweeting your content. Also, another of my pet peeves, sending me info about a business opportunity before you even said “HI” to me! Thanks for your input.
You are telling it like it is! I have had so many try and put their own links on my FB wall, in the comments section of my blog, you name it! If I want to promote your link, I’ll do it!! LOL Love this post!
I guess the point is, there is no need to post something irrelevant to someone’s page directly. Group pages with common content are better for that methinks.
Agreed Marty!
Hi Tamyka, I love this post, you describe the FB spammer experience so vividly. Too bad those spammers probably don’t even take the time to read stuff like this. I think a lot of the spammers know what they are doing is inappropriate but they don’t care. It’s just like all the junk/phishing mail we get. If they can manage to catch a few fish with their net, they are happy and they don’t care who they have to step on to do it. Unfortunately, these people are out there. It’s up to us do-gooders to keep it under control as much as we can.
It is unfortunate but I agree with you Joseph, I don’t think those spammers care either…as long as that get a few who fall for their ploys, they are content. Thankfully, the good folks out weigh the bad and we can make a difference!
Thanks for the rant, and the info,Tamyka! I haven’t run into all those yet, but I will keep my eye open for them! I do know that when I get a friend request on FB I don’t usually reply unless there is a message with it. I have learned to send a note when I request a friendship and I expect a note with a friend request.
Your very welcome Holly, how wonderful you haven’t had to experience many bad social media manners…keep up the great work!
Really well said. I have to admit I do business through Facebook but I don’t spam people. It is flattering when people approach me but only if done tactfully. Thanks for sharing.
I agree Beverly, I do business via Facebook as well and I take the time to really connect with people and build real relationships. Yes, it make take a little longer but I’m not burning any bridges or ruining my reputation.
Tamyka, you are spot on with all of your statements.
It’s as if people think this is the wild west and can act differently than in the “real” world. I would not post on someone’s wall without asking first – that’s like putting a sign in their front yard.
Like Gregory, I’ve spent a lot of time on Twitter. One huge irritation there is when someone takes my name and attaches it to an inane post like this:
LavadaTietze180 @LisbethTanz I hope Matt Damon’s version of Get Sma is going to be better than Steve Carrell’s. (link removed).
Huh? Who are you and why should I care about this? Since they used my name, I can’t even delete it. (sigh)
Thanks for a great rant and for letting me rant a bit, too.
Lis
Lisbeth, I get that on Twitter too…drives me crazy and makes you feel kinda used. I don’t understand how people think that could possibly be good business practice.
Well said, Tamyka! I won’t friend anyone without their picture. I also have difficulty with people who have pictures of their pets as their profile picture.
Thanks Julie, it does make it hard to find the commonality with a cat!
I so totally agree with you on this article Tamyka. I hate when people show up on my page an d post ads about something totally irrelavent to what’s i’m doing. But i agree with the giving credit where credit is due. I love giving back and helping others reach their goal. Makes me feel all bubbly inside. Great post, now this is worth posting again.
Thanks LaTersa, it’s all about paying it forward!
You hit the nail with the hammer on this one! I cringe when people blatantly add me to groups and post on my personal page like they’re thanking me for the connection ONLY to add a public service announcement about their biz.
I concur with Lisbeth, “I would not post on someone’s wall without asking first – that’s like putting a sign in their front yard.”
Profound message and definitely worth sharing ~ Thanks!
Thanks Regina, the public service announcement…it is the worst, how rude!