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Are You Being Rude on Social Media without Realizing it? What it’s Costing You

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Are You Being Rude on Social Media

Are You Being Rude on Social Media without Realizing it?

We all know the etiquette rules of Real Life.
Text or call if you’re running late.
When in doubt, send a thank you note.
Resist the urge to ask people how much they paid/who they voted for/why their hair looks like that.

But the etiquette of social media is a bit…stickier. With so many different platforms–and different expectations for each of them–it’s easy to inadvertently offend or annoy your followers.

Now, I could easily write 800-word posts on the manners specific to each social media platform, but I imagine that would be both overwhelming and boring for those readers who aren’t on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook.

Here are a few pointers for each platform that will help you remain in the good graces of your followers–and after all, that IS the point, right?

Instagram

Don’t upload a jillion photos at once.
When we’re on vacation somewhere painfully picturesque and we finally find some wifi, it’s incredibly tempting to dump 17 photos onto Instagram all at once. Don’t. Even if the photos are gorgeous (which I’m sure they are!), your followers will temporarily lose interest after the first three or four photos. Spread out your posting over a few days.

Don’t use every hashtag that’s ever been invented.
Do hashtags help you catch a few extra likes? Yes. Do they annoy your followers and make your captions look tacky? Also yes. Hashtags attract followers who are not your ideal client–they’re just there for the #dogsofinstagram photos, not your writing or coaching advice. You can (and should!) use hashtags occasionally, but you don’t need to use 25 of them on each photo.

Don’t just post your own photos.
If you have photos of customers reading your book/using your product/wearing your jewelry – post those images and @mention the customers if possible. It’s a great way to send some traffic their way and remind your followers of all the good work you do.

Further reading:
Insta-etiquette
How to Use Your Phone at a Dinner Party Without Annoying Everyone
The Unwritten Rules of Instagram

Twitter

When someone tweets or @mentions you – reply.
It’s just good manners, right? You wouldn’t ignore a friend at a dinner party who’s trying to get your attention. If someone asks you a question – do your best to answer it. If someone features you in a link roundup and @mentions you, thank them for including you. At the very least, favorite their tweet.

Reciprocate and/or follow back when it makes sense.
You are not required to follow everyone who follows you. You’re not required to promote everyone who promotes you. But it’ll sure help you grow your readership and following if you carefully, intentionally create relationships with some of your Twitter friends.

My rules of thumb for following or promoting people:

  1. They live in my city or state.
  2. They work in an industry related to mine.
  3. Their profile features an actual, real picture of them.
  4. They create content that would be useful to my readers + clients.

Balance your self-promotion with personal tweets and promotion of others
Don’t let your Twitter stream become a list of links to your blog posts and products. You should also use Twitter to share bits of your own life and promote other people’s content. Sharing your life helps people get to know, like, and trust you (the cornerstone to all effective marketing) and sharing other people’s stuff is a great, good-karma way to network.

Further reading:
The Complete Guide to Twitter Etiquette
Twitter Etiquette for Beginners

Facebook

Don’t ask your friends to like your Facebook page.
It’s kind of annoying but more importantly, it’s probably a waste of time for both of you. It’s unlikely that your high school BFF will benefit from your posts about writing tween horror books. It is likely that she’ll roll her eyes when she gets that invite.

Cancel scheduled posts during times of national emergency or tragedy.
This goes for Twitter, too. It’s easy to forget that you’ve got a funny, promotional post in the hopper, but if something heartbreaking or horrible is happening, your followers might not appreciate your link to Highlander pictures.

Respond to comments promptly
People use Facebook to complain, confront, and ask questions more frequently than other social media platforms. Facebook comment sections have become a customer service porthole; make sure that you respond to any comments in a timely manner, even if it’s just to ask the commenter to email you privately.

Further reading
19 Facebook Etiquette Rules for Business
Top Facebook Business Etiquette Tips

What are your social media pet peeves? Have you ever inadvertently annoyed people on social media? Share your stories in the comments!

P.S. If you’d like to see me following my own advice, you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Norma MaxwellHey there! Thanks for stopping by! I’d love to connect, so drop me a line here or shoot me an email at norma [at] connectinteractivellc [dot] com. If you like what you’re reading, be sure and subscribe or sign-up just below for email updates so you don’t miss a thing!
Norma

The post Are You Being Rude on Social Media without Realizing it? What it’s Costing You appeared first on Connect Interactive.


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