
The new media revolution has changed lives and businesses – but with any new tool comes a new set of rules and etiquette, although not everyone necessarily knows what they are.
Tamar Weinberg is the author of The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web. She maintains that social media is about communication which, at its core, is still all about people.
“Computers are just intermediaries,” says Weinberg, “a lot of people forget that there are human beings behind those monitors.”
“Treat all new media as you would a real-life relationship.”
For example, if you wouldn’t repeatedly throw flyers under someone’s door or incessantly ring their doorbell, then what makes direct message spamming acceptable? If it’s annoying in real life, it’s annoying online.
Here are the most common Facebook faux-pas:
Represent yourself accurately. No one is interested in meeting “Green Lawn Landscaping.” In all social media forms, Weinberg believes it is essential to use your first and last name and a real photo. Humanize your profile, talk about who you are and what you do. Your followers might as well know what you represent. Introduce yourself. Don’t add someone as a friend without a proper introduction. They may not know you. Tell them who you are, especially in the business world.
Don’t take it personally. Don’t be offended if someone you friended defers the relationship to LinkedIn, which is generally considered a more appropriate professional avenue. Many people use Facebook for friends, family and personal photos, and may not want colleagues and co-workers on that account.
Target the messaging to the right people. Weinberg doesn’t think it’s a good idea to invite every single person on your Friends list to join your fan page unless they specifically take an interest in your business.
Respect privacy. Ask permission before tagging people in photographs. Not everyone is going to want pictures of last weekend’s drinking binge broadcast. And compromising pictures can result in reprimands, job loss or even legal action.
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