Social Media Etiquette Made Easy!

Social Media Etiquette Made Easy!

The final instalment of our guide to social media etiquette

Choose Your Friends Carefully

Don’t friend, follow and collect contacts indiscriminately. Haphazard hoarding is ineffective and tends to cheapen the solid contacts you make. And the more unknown – yet public – contacts you add, the more you open yourself up to negative associations. It’s flattering to be chosen, but in the end it’s not a popularity contest.

Always make an appointment to video chat someone

Whether it’s Skype, FaceTime, Viber or any of the other video calling applications available, don’t call anyone without warning. Popping up on their computer screen out of the blue is just rude! Make sure your surroundings and appearance are presentable, avoid distractions such as children or pets and don’t multi-task – give the other person your full attention.

Do not post a YouTube video of someone else without asking them

Don’t post a YouTube video of someone without asking them, as they may not approve of the content or how it portrays them. It’s a good idea to provide captions on your video for deaf viewers and people who need to watch without the sound.

Separate business and social

Connect business people to your LinkedIn page and put more social updates on Facebook and Twitter. Always send congratulations on LinkedIn when a person gets a news job or there is a significant event in their business life.

Be Positive

Be encouraging of others, praise good service and query (rather than condemn) the questionable. Your online showcase should include the successes of colleagues, not just promotions of your own. Show yourself to be honourable and thoughtful. It counts more than you know and enhances your character and reputation.

What social media tips and experiences can you share on the PIN Board.

Adapted from an article by Travis Balinas, business2community; and Heather Dugan, Huffington Post; and Patricia Rossi, courtesy of Barry Moltz, American Express