Social Media Etiquette 101

* UPDATE: Lot of great feedback. Think you know social media etiqutte? Leave your “social media tips” in the comments and we’ll publish the best ones!

Everyone knows the basics of etiquette. Shake hands when you meet someone, chew with your mouth closed, elbows off the table, etc. But when it comes to social media etiquette, do you know how to handle yourself and promote your business positively? Though Twitter and blogging may appear straight forward, there are right and wrong ways to use the Internet and put your business’s brand out there.

People Behind the Screen

Social media is often taken for granted. Though the Internet is a place full of scandal and interesting people to say the least, it’s essential to keep your business’s brand on track without getting distracted. Keep in mind that just because you’re online doesn’t mean all manners and guidelines of presenting yourself go out the window; thus, we have the existence of social media etiquette.

In fact, when online, sometimes etiquette can be more important than in person. In person, someone might not notice if you use the wrong fork or say something with improper grammar; online, people will certainly notice if you lash out at someone for typing errors or state disagreements with an article in a particularly rude manner. The most crucial fact to keep in mind is you’re still interacting with people. Whether it be five individuals tweeting for one business or one person writing a blog, don’t let the shield of the Internet fool you. We’re all people mingling in the online world, and everyone still deserves respect, standards and honesty even if their typing skills are atrocious or the content they’re introducing seems to you unworthy of attention. Act online as you would in person—or not if you think etiquette’s for fools.

Don’t be Hatin’

With a presence on the Web comes a certain amount of power. With great power comes great responsibility, according to Uncle Ben in Spider-Man (and I think the caretaker of a superhero would know what he’s talking about). People are going to be looking at your blog, looking to your website and following your tweets because they back your business’s brand and want to know more. Maybe they want to one day be a part of your business. You need to set the proper tone and standards for your business’s online presence from the start.

While you positively promote that brand, you also don’t want to be putting down others. Negative comments on people’s blogs, unhelpful responses to people’s inquiries, and sole promotion of your business won’t do much good in the long run. It’s important to be respectful of others and as helpful as possible, even if that means deferring your followers to other blogs and other businesses. In this way, you’ll ultimately win because you’ll be helpful, insightful, and overall pleasant. To be memorable, you need to break out those manners Mom taught you long ago and you’ll be able to charm the pants off all your critics.

Your Profiles are Your Brand

Ultimately, your online presence really personifies your business as a whole. If people stumble upon your website, it could be the first impression they have of what you do. Social media is meant to be the public’s constant connection to your company, an intimate setting where they can learn about how you do what you do in front of their own computer screen. The company should come off as personable, approachable and informative. Use the appropriate writing style on each platform instead of merely copying and pasting the same information everywhere.

Engage with others, rather than focusing on solely the business, and make everyone feel included (the don’t talk to strangers rule is ok to ignore under these circumstances). Basically, treat online users as life long friends, use proper grammar as much as possible, and provide helpful information and there’s no reason people will shy away from your business. Embrace social media etiquette, and tweeters, bloggers, and fellow business people will definitely embrace you.