Don’t take after the D-Lister public relations practitioner with his bad Twitter netiquette. He angered his Fed Ex client with his negative tweet about Memphis, Fed Ex’s home location. As a result, the PR agency lost Fed Ex as their client.
Unfortunately, Fed Ex was one of their highest paying clients—ouch! Mr. Slap-on-the-Hand Tweeter learned a hard lesson about proper netiquette and also lost his job in the process. Here are some simple rules to follow so you aren’t downgraded to the social networking D-List:
Think Before You Tweet: Employers and potential clients can easily research your social networking posts online. Before you write, think about exactly what you’re writing. Always promote yourself in a professional, positive manner. Even a harmless comment could read negatively to clients or employers. Words can sometimes get lost in translation in cyber world.
Social Networking Isn’t JUST for Advertising Products and Services: If your company or business has the mentality that social networking sites are JUST for advertising, it’s time to re-think your marketing strategy. Instead of blasting out “2 for 1” messages, you need to offer value to customers. First build a personal relationship with contacts. Tailor your posts to promote a value-packed message: 90% information mixed with 10% advertisement.
Do NOT Blast Customers with Hourly Promotions: If you don’t want to be blocked or reported as the Super Spammer, remember that value wins over click-happy, hourly promotions. The rule of thumb is to keep your promotions to a minimum – at least once a week. If you’ve established a strong relationship with contacts, you can bump up posts to twice per week.
Add Group Postings in Moderation: If you belong to a group, don’t blast groups or forums with posts. This could be seen as spamming and you will probably get booted out of the group. Develop a rapport with fellow group members and figure out their interests, likes and dislikes.
Don’t Add Friends Just Because You Want to Look Popular: Don’t add just “anyone” to your Facebook or Twitter because you want to impress others with your huge friends list. Remember quality wins over quantity. Carefully consider who you want on your contact list. Don’t ruin your well-respected reputation by adding people who are a poor reflection upon you and your company’s ethics. It’s acceptable to decline friend requests from people you don’t know very well or have never met.
Follow these simple netiquette rules and you’ll be successful as an A-list social networking guru in no time!
