One of the biggest mistakes you can make in social media today is to do something that disrupts the relationship you are building online. Do you ever wish you had the social media etiquette guide you wish Miss Manners had written? Nearly every technical glitch is recoverable, but the ill will that can be generated from one thoughtless post, tweet or other social media posting can be devastating and, in some cases, impossible to recover from so it's important to know how to handle your brand on social media from an etiquette standpoint.
I wanted to address some points of etiquette here on social media or Netiquette as some like to call it. I am a huge on the fact that most people come to social media for fun so I though we would approach this social media etiquette in a fun way!
The holidays always bring an increase in entertaining events, family gatherings, and all sorts of fun occasions that include an increase in rules of etiquette. Which fork should you use, how you should introduce your mother to your fiancée's parents, and so on.
The point of social media is to be social, engaging and to build relationships that can lead to business opportunities. But if something you say offends or wounds another person, it damages the relationship. So let's take a second to look at some common etiquette issues on social media and how Miss Social Networking Manners might respond.
Wow – this one really hit a nerve for Miss Social Networking Manners. But remember that each business owner's Fan page is a place he or she has built to promote a business and a brand, and needs to be respected as such. Don't post material without permission that promotes some other business or cause on his or her page.
Plagiarism is never okay, and Miss Social Networking Manners really hit it on the head here. It is not okay to redirect traffic from someone else's pin. Create your own pin boards and make sure to use an engaging image on everything you post so you have many legitimate pins pointing back to your own site without having to steal someone else's work.
Nope, you can't just ignore negative comments on your Facebook fan page, your Twitter feed, or anywhere else in social media. Use the opportunity to be transparent and showcase your brand's outstanding customer service. Most people will forgive honest mistakes or mess ups. They're not so forgiving when they find out you've deliberately hidden negative feedback.
Wow – there you have it. Some good questions for Miss Social Networking Manners and how she'd handle some tough online situations.
What about you? Do you have etiquette pet peeves online? Or in case she decides to make a return, do you have any further questions for Miss Social Networking Manners?
Great post! I love how you did the letters! My BIGGEST pet peeve is when I comment on a business page and they don't respond or tweet a question to someone or a business and all I get are crickets. You wouldn't ignore someone in real life, so why ignore them online?
Agree, Mandy!
Thanks Kim, I'm learning quite a bit on Social Boom certainly keeping me quite busy. These are valuable reminders.
Cute! Love the way you tackle the obvious! great job!
Thanks, Patricia!
Love this!! A great way to get a point across!
Thanks, Kerry
Thanks for sharing this Kim…answered a lot of questions I have been wondering about. Never sure how to respond to negative comments…do not want to get into an online confrontation so I just answer honestly and usually end with 'we can agree to disagree' and all is typically well. However the ones who misread what you wrote and take off in the wrong direction and then are unwilling to be open to a discussion are the ones I do delete!
Sometimes we do have to simply agree to disagree for sure!
I am not as gracious as I should be when someone is rude to me on Twitter. I have thought about how unprofessional it is of me to say some of the things I have in the past. Thanks for reminding me that it's all part of it. I do a better job now of talking and waiting a while before i answer! ..;)
I can't imagine you being rude to anyone, Liz!
Great post, Kim. I think ppl forget that manners apply to EVERYTHING we do, including internet. Rudeness is rudeness no matter where it is displayed.
YES, I totally agree!
These useful tips you have shared and I like the way you have put up the information. Appreciate your sharing.
Glad you dropped in!
Awesome post again Kim! I would definitely remember all these NETTIQUETTES that you pointed out. And those tips that you shared in handling some tough online situations are very helpful.
Glad they were helpful, Lorii!
Love the examples Kim. Being transparent and addressing these issues publicly makes a world of difference in building a quality brand.