We often read blogs telling us tips, tricks, and other things that we MUST do on social media. So let’s start 2014 off right by having some things NOT to do on social media.  These tips should help you to have successful social media etiquette this year. So let’s take a look at some big no-no’s for social media:

Sharing is Caring! But wait!

Your posts should be spread out over time. Ideally, you want them to be shared at peak times. This can be achieved by using social media management tools like Buffer, HootSuite, or SproutSocial. These programs allow you load your posts ahead of time allowing them to be shared at the optimal time to be seen by you followers. Too many posts at once can easily get you un-followed. People don’t want to see their feed full of nothing but your face and posts. So, if you have a friend that is puking on their social media, please have an intervention and let them know they need to slow their roll!

Get your butt on Google +!

Yea, yea, yea, we’ve all heard the hype on Google + being a joke. Well it’s NOT! If you’re not active on there you better get on there, like NOW! Since this social network is owned by big daddy Google, it is probably the most powerful social network you can use. This social network has the ability to create communities based on specific interests. Google + also has Hangouts. a unique feature, where you can host demonstrations, meetings, and discussions.   Studies have shown a direct correlation with +1’s giving you a bump in Google rankings.

Tweet. Tweet. Repeat.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised. Nobody cares if you just HAVE a Twitter account. What people want to see is that you not only HAVE one but that you’re actually using it. Interact with your followers. This shows that you’re human and not a bot of preloaded article posts. Yes, we have all seen those accounts before! Don’t be afraid to jump into relevant conversations. Follow others, especially your clients, potential clients, and people you do business with . Nobody wants to see a Twitter account that only follows 1 person. What does that say? Oh that you’re so freaking important that you don’t have to follow anyone else? Please. I think not.

Build a Foundation on Facebook.

WHAT?!? You don’t have a Facebook page?! OMG that in itself is a whole other blog post, but let’s just say you have a social media emergency if you don’t have a Facebook page. Everybody and their mama and even grandma is on Facebook nowadays. Regardless of whether you’re B2B or B2C you need to have a Facebook page for your business. And, more importantly, you need it to engage with your Facebook followers. Like and respond to their comments.

Content is Key

Content is content. Even if it’s old content. If it is good content then don’t be afraid to keep re-sharing this content to people. Remember you have new followers or followers that might have missed it the first time around. This is where those social media management tools I mentioned earlier come into play. Schedule the content to re-post from time to time.

Negative Comments

Okay I get it, negative comments scare you. It’s okay. Now get over it and face the music. Whatever you do, don’t delete the comments and don’t ignore them. This just infuriates people and makes them really come back with a vengeance with even more comments. Negative comments are a learning experience. They can teach you what you did wrong and you learn by fixing it or at least trying to. Once you correct the situation people will usually acknowledge that the situation was resolved by saying thank you and/or deleting the comments. With that said, you cannot please everyone so you are likely to have negative comments sometimes.

Beware of the Auto-Bots!

Okay, the only bot I care to see or hear is Roger from Moz! Nobody wants to receive auto-responders on Twitter saying “thanks for the follow”. Ugh. It’s so impersonal and frankly, it’s annoying. I get that you mean well and want to show people you appreciate them following you, but come on they know you want more followers, who doesn’t?

As far as retweets go, I think that fact that you retweeted someone’s content is thanks enough, but some people do actually thank you for retweeting and I feel that this can be acceptable if it is done personally without using auto-responders. The direct messages from bots on Twitter wanting you to visit their page just because you followed them are really irritation to Twitter users. Then there are the LinkedIn surveys wanting you to rate their business. God please just stop. If you want people to rate your business get them on Yelp, FourSquare, Google Reviews, and a testimonials page on your site itself.

Faves are all the Rave

Don’t forget to Favorite people’s tweets if you like something they are sharing or even if it’s something you’re mentioned in. This shows that you are acknowledgement and that you care. Also retweet your own mentions as well. Make sure you return the favor to others by sharing their content.

Get to Know People

When you connect with people on social media let the relationship marinate and build a strong foundation. Don’t solicit people as soon as you connect. We have all seen the guy constantly soliciting people on twitter without any relationship built. AWKWARD!

Uptight

Have fun on social media. Don’t be afraid to laugh and make others laugh. It shows you are human. After all if you were face to face you would laugh and smile with people!

Don’t Be So Full of Yourself!

This has to be the most important rule of social media. Everything isn’t all about you! Share other people’s content not just your own! We have all seen that arrogant guy on social media who only promotes himself. Sad I know. So, get out there and share relevant articles that you read and think will be helpful to others. After all, you want them to return the favor right?

Image Credit:  Shutterstock Quka