Image by Todd Huffman
One of the hardest things about being successful in social media is understanding the modus operandi for each platform. When marketers consider leaping in to social media, they have a plethora of options open to them. From Facebook to Vimeo, Flickr to Digg, each of these communities have their own social codes and accepted practices that set them apart.
What may be acceptable on one medium may be uncouth or even disrespectful on another. Learning these social codes can help you determine which platform would benefit your business most, as well as allow you to evaluate your needs and tactics against the unspoken rules of your chosen medium.
The name of the game on Twitter is respect. While many people will literally buy followers for a premium price, studies have proven time and again that it is not how many followers you have that matters, but the influence you have with your followers. In order to make an attractive feed for your account, there are a few basic pieces of etiquette that should be followed:
_ When you want to share a link or a statement that another user has made, do give credit either by directly re-tweeting it using the re-tweet button, writing RT @handle, or by noting “via @handle.”
_ When someone praises something you’ve tweeted, don’t re-tweet their praise. It is typically considered too self-congratulatory and can turn off your fellow tweeters.
_ Don’t re-tweet messages from individuals who have huge followings.
_ Do follow individuals you’d like to start a conversation with or that you think would appreciate the value your feed presents, even if you don’t know them personally.
_ Don’t auto-direct message anyone who follows you; it is considered insincere on the relatively specified medium and grounds for unfollowing for many seasoned tweeters.
_ Do ask your followers to re-tweet you, but only if you’re prepared to give something back for the promotion. Typically, this comes in the form of a free giveaway.
_ Do participate in individual conversation with your followers. This is one of the greatest advantages of Twitter, and many have come to expect a response when they reach out to a brand’s account.
_ Do thank your followers by their handle for RTs, recommendations, and praise. This will not go unnoticed!
This popular site seems to have a much looser set of community guidelines when it comes to unsolicited messaging, but there are still a specific set of guidelines to follow for success.
_ With applications, don’t reward users based purely on the number of the number of recommendations they make to their friends. This leads some (less sophisticated) users spamming the larger majority, which will push potential users away.
_ Do reward individuals for their commitment to your brand; even if they’ve chosen to reward you by becoming your fan based on value you provide them offline, create value in your online offerings as well.
_ Do talk to your followers and fans on an individual basis. It is a rare company that takes the time on Facebook to respond directly to individuals; this alone sets you apart from other companies on the platform.
_ Don’t spam you followers with frequent, all-member messages. Messages are typically intended for one-on-one, personal conversations. Too many messages from a group or fan page can frustrate users, and many more will simply choose to ignore it. Only use messages for considerable announcements.
_ Do advertise on the platform. Users are comfortable clicking through from a poll or an ad on the site to a fan page or company website. Leverage this enthusiasm!
_ Do give your users a reason to come back to your fan page. Update your status, post links, and get involved on the medium; each of these actions will increase the likelihood that your story will show up on your fans’ newsfeeds.
_ Where possible, do take your users in photos or videos.
Next week, we’ll take a look at two more social media platforms: YouTube and Vimeo.
Claire Grinton is a brand strategist and writer based in San Francisco. Find more from Claire or contact her at claire[dot]grinton[at]gmail.
Tags: Facebook, Netiquette, Twitter
