8 Important Social Media Etiquette Rules to Follow ...

First and foremost social media etiquette rule to follow is to choose your friends and followers wisely. Remember that even though you might consider yourself to be a free spirit who befriends everyone, current or future employers and friends and family might not be as open as you are so be sure to check out the people you interact with and make sure they aren’t posting inappropriate or offensive things that can somehow be linked back to you!

One of the most essential rules of social media is not to post things when you’re sad, mad, overly tired or intoxicated. I know this goes without saying but I know many times people can get caught up in the moment and decide to tell the world how much they hate someone or post some not-so-safe pictures of yourself partying it up. I’m not saying you need to keep your posts totally G-rated but be choosy of what you post because it can really bite you in the butt later on. You can delete tweets and posts but if someone captures it before you and decides to share it, there’s no getting out of it!

Another one of the social media etiquette rules you might want to follow is to create separate profiles or “identities” for work and personal purposes. If you own your own business or want to create a page that represents your work or something you do, you can have separate pages to post and discuss things that are more relevant to your work and clients. You wouldn’t take someone seriously if their business page was constantly updated with personal comments and pictures, right?

This is an often overlooked rule of social media but I wish more people who pay more attention to what they say online! If someone posts a tweet or a status update that offends you or just doesn’t sit well with you or maybe you’re the one who posted something that got someone fired up, think carefully before you go all ballistic on them. No matter how idiotic their statements are, remember that sometimes statements can be misinterpreted through text so give it some time and be civil if and when you reply. The last thing you want is some kind of online war where things get misconstrued and taken out of context.

Tagging someone in a photo or place seems harmless but as a general social media etiquette rule, let them know before you do so. You never know what could be going on in someone’s life or who this person is friends with so tagging someone in a drunken photo or at a certain place could look really bad for them if they’re friends with their boss or a family friend.

Another one of the more obvious social media etiquette rules is not to post pictures or statements about engaging in anything illegal, such as drinking underage or doing something irresponsible. Would you want to hire someone who posts photos of themselves doing a beer bong or something epic fail worthy? Yeah, it’s fun to laugh at ourselves and remember good times but do things like that in private far away from potential employers or other important people!

Remember this critical social media etiquette rule when you’re new to networking and just starting out with your online profiles; build your online rep responsibly. Be respectful of others online and remember that it takes awhile to get a solid following and gain the respect of others in your field. If you’re trying to promote your work, make sure you share the work of others as well. Provide helpful information and avoid only talking about yourself.

A good rule of netiquette to follow is to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you abide by this simple rule, you will gain the respect of others and build good relationships with people. Of course there are always people who don’t have the same common sense and manners as you, but you know better and you don’t have time to get caught up in all that drama!

Follow these simple social media etiquette rules and you’ll be able to make good connections and build a respectable online presence whether it’s personal or for your business. Do you have any particular social media etiquette rules you follow? What are your biggest pet peeves when it comes to social media?

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