Social media sites, like Twitter, can be a great marketing tool for the business men and women, public figures and entrepreneurs – allowing them to gain millions of followers.
The problem with the ability to reach so many people is that with power comes great responsibility. One must realize that you can gain respect, but could also lose your credibility quickly by saying the wrong thing with one post or tweet.
The following are a few online etiquette tips to follow to help you avoid the public pitfalls of social media –
1~ Don’t Tweet Angry. Just like difficult moments in life, it is always better to deal with things after you’ve taken a few minutes to calm down. Social media is the same way. Before tweeting something in anger, take time to think about your words.
2~ Check Facts. Always check your facts and information to make sure that it’s correct before you share it. Spreading inaccurate numbers can backfire and cause unintentional controversy.
3~ Don’t Spam. People will not want to follow you if your sole purpose for going online is to only promote yourself or your business. Make conversations with others and only promote business features every few days, keeping your connections friendly.
4~ Remember Grammar. Twitter only allows a certain amount of characters per tweet, but that does not give you permission to use poor spelling and grammar. Always keep the tweets short, but professional.
5~ Don’t Brag. Your tweeting goals should be to entertain, inform and stimulate conversation. Never use this space to brag or for self-promotion.
The best way to gain a good following of people is by tweeting helpful or interesting information, and by being genuine – as you would be in person. Your followers will soon increase as others see that you offer witty, but strong and professional content.
