By Meg Biallas, @megbiallas
Remember that poem: “All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten”?
Plenty of people on the web don’t know how - or perhaps don’t care about - using social media properly. It’s not hard, and demonstrating social (media) graces will boost your online rapport, whether you’re representing your company or yourself. It’s easy; just review some of those basic kindergarten rules...
Share, share, share - and say “thank you” when appropriate. Let's say you get a Twitter mention, or a comment on your blog. Sure you can say, “Thanks for the retweet!” or “great comment!” But try one step better: share someone’s else’s link, pay someone a compliment, read your colleague’s latest blog post. It demonstrates that you’re not using social media just to tout yourself.
Respect personal space. Learn the nuances of each social network and use them appropriately. You don’t want to bombard Facebook friends with endless Foursquare check-ins. (Let’s be honest: most people on Facebook probably think Foursquare is still a recess game that involves four people and a ball).
Be genuine. The Web makes everything easier for us; but its also made us lazier. Anybody can share a link or add to the chorus of “Happy Birthday!”s on Facebook. One of my personal pet peeves is the automated messages from LinkedIn when a friend or coworker wants to connect: “I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.” Really? Is that all you’re going to say to me? What about a “Hi [name]! It was great to run into the other day” or “Glad your latest project is going well.” When social media gives you a shortcut, make an effort to personalize it - otherwise your message will drown in a sea of voices.
Make friends - online, and offline. Admire a colleague’s blog posts? Enjoy chatting with a fellow sports fan? Consider meeting in real life for coffee. It’s a great opportunity for networking or professional mentoring. Meeting colleagues online is great, but nothing beats face-to-face communication. Doing so will make your online connection stronger. (Nonprofiter Beth Kanter would call this an example of "karma banking").
Don’t let the bullies get to you. If someone wants to pick a fight on a social network, take it offline. There are some conversations you just don’t want to have on public record.
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Meg Biallas is a media relations professional and social media strategist for Fight Crime: Invest in Kids.
Related Posts:
» 5 Rules for Kindergarten Friends & Twitter
» Post Positively & Resourcefully
» The Goal of Graciousness
