It is not a surprise that the use of social media has exploded in the last decade. Facebook has more than a billion users worldwide, whereas Twitter and LinkedIn aren’t that far behind, with millions of accounts to their names. From teenagers to professionals, all age groups are accustomed to their favorite social media apps. People use their platforms as part of their marketing campaigns, staying in touch with their old peers or considering new connections and opportunities.
In such an excellent environment, it is hard to imagine that the influence of social media never existed a decade ago. You just wonder how people used to interact frequently back then. However, although social media is ideal for connecting with friends and relatives from any place, it also has certain risks. For example, if you post one silly tweet or Instagram post, it could be enough to disrupt all your close friendships or relationships with colleagues. Therefore, the influence of social media is so significant that you may end up losing your job because of it.
Although most social media platforms provide robust settings, it is difficult to shield your personality and thoughts entirely from your network. One of the biggest reasons people come to social media is because it allows them to share things with others. As a social media regular, like many people today, you can start learning the basics of social media etiquette to protect you from notorious and problematic social backlashes.
What is a Social Media Etiquette?
Social media etiquette for business is the guidelines or instructions used by organizations and workers to garner their reputation online. In other words, when organizations do social media marketing to promote their business products and services, they must be careful with their words. This is because their communication and interpretation influence their interaction with potential customers.
Image taken from Facebook
For example, your posted social media content indicates abuse, disrespect, or discrimination toward the public. In that case, you will do a lot of damage to your brand image and reputation. Hence, every business owner must be aware of social media etiquette.
Relevant Social Media Etiquette Tips Today
1) Don’t Mix Business and Pleasure
Some public figures are paid to post inspirational content on their social media accounts, but mere mortals don’t have this privilege. As a professional, you must follow social media etiquette tips and don’t combine your personal and professional life. For example, if your job allows you to have a social media account with your name, don’t use it to talk about the restaurant where you will have dinner or share photos of your new puppy.
Image taken from Facebook
You must have a separate social media account for your engagement. If your personal and business handles have the same handle, make it clear in the about section. If you feel that some of your blogs or website content can have controversial opinions, you can attach a disclaimer, such as “All views shared are my own,” to your Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Remember that your professional concerns should always outweigh your personal concerns. For example, if you are tasked to do some promotion but aren’t cleared to discuss it publicly, you can’t share the news on your personal social media accounts.
2) Use Tagging Photos
If you are a social media regular, you would not be happy if your friends tagged you in candid photos. Hence, there is no point in putting them in the same position. If you have uploaded a group photo, you must ask permission before tagging your friends. You can also post a picture with the caption ‘Tag yourself’ so that others have the authority.
Your profile picture must be professional when discussing social media etiquette for business owners. A professional photo is even more critical on business-focused social media websites like LinkedIn. High-resolution headshots are the perfect fit for a professional profile picture.
Image taken from Twitter
The rules may change if you have a business page on social media. You can use a logo or representative image on them as your profile picture. If professional concerns lead you to an anonymous social media page, feel free to be more creative with your images. Remember not to use anything offensive on your page and ensure that your viewers feel comfortable going through it.
3) Be Small-Centered in Small Doses
Even if you feel that you are not part of this universe, your social media presence could be singing a different tune. Before posting anything on your platform, consider how your viewers interpret it. For example, your customers can perceive your content as insightful, informative, or boring. Your approach is fundamental if you are on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ because they have the most online users worldwide.
4) Your Sense of Humor Isn’t Universal
Unless you send a private message to somebody, your social media posts go beyond your friends and family members. When writing social media captions, it is always good to have a sense of humor. However, when we talk about humor, it can also divide opinions within your target audience. Make sure that your words are appropriate and not insulting.
5) Don’t be Reactive
It is always fun to see celebrity wars on Twitter. However, you shouldn’t put yourself in the same bracket and avoid getting involved in social media arguments. When a fight starts on social media, people going toe-to-toe online may never dream of doing it face-to-face. However, if you have a pragmatic approach to your social media content, you can save these actions, your energy, and time.
You can start a social media spat in many ways, such as publicly calling out people for their wrongdoings. However, regardless of how the fight begins, it only damages your reputation. Regarding arguments on social media, you shouldn’t think about settling the scores, and your priority should always be to protect your brand. Apart from being reactive, there is a chance that you can develop a hot head. For example, if you are a senior employee, having anger issues is the last thing you want because you won’t be able to motivate your new employees properly, which may cost you your job.
6) Avoid Oversharing
You mustn’t convert your social media feeds into an inner monologue. For example, if you occasionally talk about how delicious your dinner was, your followers won’t have a problem. However, the basics of social media etiquette suggest you shouldn’t make it a habit. For example, posting about your cereal choice every morning will frustrate your followers, and you may lose them forever.
Even if you don’t use your social media account for personal reasons, your social media presence plays a huge role in your personal brand. You must ensure that your brand is interesting, engaging, and showcases your best characteristics. You don’t need to destroy its credibility by posting irrelevant content.
7) Build a Legacy for the Future
It is usual for organizations to check out the candidates’ social media activity before hiring them or accepting their applications. Hence, your social media presence mustn’t negatively impact your professional career. You can impose privacy on your contacts so that your posts are unavailable to non-contacts. In addition, you can untag yourself from controversial or legally questionable posts.
If you know certain employees before joining a company, you must identify and delete any controversial posts regarding them. In addition, your LinkedIn profile must have an updated resume, and you must engage with professional groups.
8) Link it to a Professional Website
Usually, many businesses create social media pages when they start their business plans. Unfortunately, they also have to provide a key in the non-existent web address where they must provide their website’s URL. Consequently, social media etiquette for business owners looks like a mismatch, giving a negative impression of your company. If you haven’t built a brand website, you should start today.
Image taken from Strikingly
If you are looking for a cost-effective way to build a brand website, you don’t need to go further. Strikingly is a professional website builder that allows you to create your brand website in just a few minutes. After landing on our platform, you can register for a free account and start building your brand website from scratch.
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
Select the most suitable website template, add relevant content using the website editor, and publish your site immediately. Most importantly, you don’t need to invest unnecessary money in professional web developers. Strikingly allows you to build your website through the drag-and-drop feature. If you are developing your brand website for the first time, you can look into the established websites on our platform for assistance.
Conclusion
In today’s day and age, social media has a lot of power. You cannot simply ignore or refrain from it in your personal or professional life. The best thing to do is embrace the good things it brings. In addition, you can learn the basics of social media etiquette to engage with other users.
From avoiding extensive self-promotion to maintaining your sense of humor, many practices are the hybrid version of old-school etiquette. However, the social media world moves faster than the offline world. Hence, thinking about the images, videos, and written content is essential before sharing it with thousands of your peers.
