Social media is a must for any business if you use it the right way. There are hundreds of ways you can go wrong. For example, you should avoid sending potentially offensive tweets and engaging in aggressive online debate that could embarrass your colleagues or family members. You don't want to lose your job over a tweet, of course, but good online etiquette is critical for many reasons. Even your personal accounts can be visible to people you don't know, and your posts and shares, once they are public, are visible for a long time. Your social media presence should make you proud, not regret, and what you share should stand out from everyday chatter.
Don't combine business with pleasure
Some public figures are paid to post outrageous or inspiring things on their social media accounts, but ordinary people do not have this privilege. If work requires you to have a social media account with your name on it, don't use it to talk about where you're going tonight, or share photos of your new puppy. Keep separate accounts for this sort of thing. To soften the blow of questionable content, add a disclaimer such as “All views expressed are mine,” to your personal Twitter and Facebook accounts. Keep in mind that your professional concerns always outweigh your personal ones. For example, if you've been asked for a promotion at work but aren't allowed to discuss it publicly, resist the urge to share the news on your personal social media accounts.
Be careful when posting and tagging photos
You probably don't like it when your friends tag you in unflattering or candid photos, so why do it to them? If you're posting a group photo, get permission before tagging your friends, or post the photo with the caption "Tag Yourself" to encourage others to take the initiative. Also, make sure your profile pictures, especially on business-oriented social sites like LinkedIn, are professional. Clear, high-resolution key photos work best.
The rules change for your business page, where a logo or representative image may apply. If professional concerns lead you to maintain an anonymous Facebook or Twitter page, feel free to be more creative with images. Just nothing really offensive:it's still possible to deduce the owner of an anonymous page.
Be egocentric in small doses Even if you understand that you are not the center of the universe, your social media presence can put you in a different light. Before you post, tweet, or share anything, think about how others might interpret it – will it be perceived as insightful and informative, or gross and boring? This is especially important if you rely on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and other tools to promote your professional side.
Developed for Twitter, the 4-1-1 rule can be applied to other platforms and is a great example for engagement. The idea is that every time you post something that's "all about you," you're sharing at least four pieces of content written by someone else.
Understand that your sense of humor is not universal
Unless you send a private message, your social media posts will extend far beyond your friends and family members. What happens in the locker room or indoors may not be kosher in an environment where people from different backgrounds gather. This doesn't mean you can't use well-placed humor in your posts – just make sure it's right.
Be unresponsive
Celebrity Twitter wars are fun to watch, but don't get sucked into your own social media arguments. From behind a screen, the effects of an argument seem less immediate and many people are willing to go to great lengths online in ways they never expected. When you battle things out on social media, your words and actions can be saved and retrieved later.
There are many ways to launch a social media attack, from responding personally to a politically oriented Facebook post, to publicly calling someone out for wrongdoing. However the feud begins, the results are not positive. In addition to alienating your opponent and his or her associates, you can develop a reputation as a hothead. And your employer can even take action against you, even if the dispute has nothing to do with your work.
Avoid sharing too much
Your social media feeds should not be read as an inner monologue. Sharing what your cat is up to or how great the food was last night is fine. But excessive sharing — like posting your breakfast every morning — is the fastest way to lose your friends and followers. Even if you don't use your accounts for professional purposes, your social presence is a big part of your personal brand. You want your brand to be interesting, attractive and representative of your best qualities. You don't want to water it down with irrelevant posts.
Build a legacy for the future
It's standard for employers these days to check candidates' social media activity before inviting you for an interview, so make sure your accounts don't jeopardize your chances. Increase the privacy settings of your personal accounts so that your messages are not visible to non-contacts. Remove and deselect morally or legally questionable photos. Find and delete any disparaging comments about previous employers or co-workers. Make sure your LinkedIn profile has an updated resume and join relevant professional groups.
Think beyond the next status update – your social media presence contains years of information about you and your awareness is increasing with the digitization of society. If you want to use social media to say and share what you want, consider creating semi-anonymous accounts under a pseudonym.
Don't misrepresent yourself Dishonesty can have serious personal and professional consequences, even on social media. It can be easy to misrepresent yourself when you're hiding behind a screen, but even a seemingly innocuous embellishment on your LinkedIn profile, like coming up with a more impressive title at a previous job, can get you caught.
Don't drink and tweet
If you're affected in any way — lack of sleep, jet lag, or excess alcohol — you're more likely to break the rules of social media etiquette. If you feel unsafe behind the wheel, wait to get online until you feel better. Likewise, if your first instinct after a hard day at work or an argument with your partner is to vent digitally, resist the temptation. You are liable for anything that could damage your personal or professional reputation.
Understand how each platform works
Some principles of social media etiquette are widely applicable and many are extensions of offline courtesy. But others, such as what to include in direct messages on Twitter, and when or who to connect with on LinkedIn, are platform specific. Before you become an active user of a new social media platform, read the right way. And since these practices may change as new features emerge, be sure to check them out every month to stay up to date.
