The Social Etiquette of Social Media

by Dina Arsenault

Now we all have become well acquainted with the ins and outs of how to use social media either for personal or business purposes.  We certainly have come a long way from AOL message boards and MySpace that is for sure.  Marketing your business digitally is no longer a should I, it is now a we must.  If you can’t be found online, your customers will go somewhere else to spend their hard earned money.  As in in real life, face to face interactions has a code of conduct or etiquette if you will when using social media to market your business.  I realize there have been many blog articles before me that have been written on this topic, I mean all you have to do is Google the terms etiquette and social media and presto bango plenty of links will magically appear.

So what makes this blog any different you ask?

Well, in this blog article I want to touch on some frequent faux pas that I have been seeing make a come back as of late not only in my own social media experiences but, with some of my fellow colleagues as well that I think need addressing.

So let’s begin…

1. Automatic Direct Message in either Facebook Messenger, Twitter or LinkedIn selling your product or service.

Now I don’t know about you, but when I choose to follow a brand or small business on social media, and the first interaction I have with them is them messaging me with a sales pitch, I am turned off.  We have just lost the opportunity to learn from each other and support each other`s businesses.   I get that we are in the business of making money but, take the time to build a relationship first – Listen to what a person`s wants and needs are, offer them something of value in the content you post, get to know them.  Treat them as a person and not a target market and I assure you they will reward you with their business.

2. Follow For A Follow on Twitter Only To Boost Numbers.

Now, on face value following a profile after they follow you is a nice gesture and a practice I generally instruct my clients to do if the profile is of interest to them and their content would be of value to them or their business. All a part of building those relationships online right!? Lately, I have been seeing another phenomenon taking place – Following a profile to get a follow back only to then Unfollow said profile in an effort to boost their own follower count.  This really does not need much explanation other than this is just plain rude.  Again, you miss out on that golden opportunity to get to know someone and build those relationships which if nurtured will lead to sales and brand loyalty.

3. Over Posting

I mean I get it, with all the changes to the algorithms on Facebook and Instagram to name a few, you wonder if anyone is seeing your posts.  So you think, “why don’t I post more often, this will up my chances of people seeing my posts right?” Well, I am afraid to say, you would be wrong.  Spamming your followers timeline is never a good strategy.  Being inundated with posts after posts from one platform day in and day out will inevitably lead to Unfollows and lost sales for you and your business.  Let’s face it, it is kind of obnoxious.  Now each platform is different but the general rule of thumb for the amount of posts per day goes as follows:

• Instagram – 1-3 posts per day
• Facebook – 2-3 posts per day
• Twitter – 5 posts per day
• LinkedIn – 1 per day

4. Tame Your #Hashtags

Yes it is true, using hashtags properly and with strategy is an excellent way to achieve higher reach and visibility for you and your brand.  However, when you overuse them and hashtag almost every word in your post you not only make it much harder for your followers to read your post, you also appear to look unprofessional.  Choosing the right hashtags that not only suit the content of your post but are in alignment with your brand is the best strategy when using hashtags.  Try to keep them between 1 -5 per post.

All in all, approaching your social media marketing as a means to build relationships online and leveraging it properly with strategy can increase your audience and customer base in an incredible way.  But, at the end of the day it must be done with etiquette and a nice side of common courtesy – We are people after all and not mere markets and how we speak to each other even online, should reflect that.

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