The Ins and Outs of Social Media EtiquetteThere is a lot involved with marketing through social media.  Engaging your target audience, generating leads and getting your name out there are just a few important keys but have you considered if you are using the correct etiquette?

To go along with marketing on social media sites is the importance of social media etiquette. Just like it is important to have good manners face to face it is important to have good manners online especially when you are trying to attract customers.  You  have people following you, reading your thoughts and articles and making decisions based on what they have read and your behavior effects how they think about you.

Here are some things to think about when it comes to using correct etiquette on your social media networks.

  • Don’t Jump on the Direct Message Train –   Direct messaging straight away can seem like spam.  They are following you because they obviously think you are interesting.  Instead why not engage them through a tweet and start a real conversation with your new follower, just be sure the topic is relevant.
  • Don’t Be a Hashtag Monster #### – You may want to get your tweet seen but overdoing hashtags is not the way to go about it.  When you read a tweet with a hashtag overdose it is just not pleasing to the eye.  It has also been proven that you get a higher engagement on your tweet when you only use one or two hashtags. Use hashtags that are relevant to the tweet or are trending.  You want your hashtag to help your followers find discussions that are relevant to them.
  • Don’t Be Vain – When sharing content make sure you share others content as well.  Too much self talk or self promotion can turn those that follow you off.  They may even stop following you due to seeing too much about you and not enough about other companies, followers or subjects. Consider retweeting content that your followers have created or shared.  Also use others in your industry that have up and coming ideas.

Facebook

  • Ignorance is Not Bliss – Keep an eye on the interactions you receive from the great content you  post.  When followers interact join in the conversation.  Don’t ignore an interaction or it may make you seem rude. Join in, comment back and really engage and take note of what your followers are saying.  You will find you will receive invaluable feedback, for free!
  • Avoid Looking Desperate – Ending everything you post with , “Do you like this?”  will make you seem very desperate.  Every now and then it is a good idea to ask if your fans “like” something however every time you post will seem like you are desperate for attention. Also don’t like your own posts. Think about other things that will engage your followers.  Look back on old posts and see which ones bought the most engagement and continue using those methods.

Linked In

  • Don’t Oversell Yourself Short– Sales type posts can turn a lot of members off when it comes to linked in. While there is a great opportunity to get your company out there, too much is just that, too much. Use a blend of a little sales, a little conversation and relevant content to get your brand seen.
  • Keep it Professional – Sharing the same content you use on twitter and Facebook with linked in is not such a good idea.  LinkedIn is a professional network that keeps with a professional tone. Stick to business related posts and discussions.

Following these social etiquette rules will help you attract and keep new followers.  Just remember always keep your content relevant to your business and your fans.

Did we miss any important social media etiquette tips?  Share your comments below.

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Robb Bailey

Co-Founder & CEO at PageLadder, Inc.
Robb enjoys growing a mean mustache every Movember and putting hot sauce on anything edible. You'll find him doing Content Marketing at his Inbound Marketing Agency in San Diego.
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