Just because you’re on the internet doesn’t mean manners need to go out the window. Little words like Please, Thank You, You’re Welcome, Excuse Me, and Congratulations can be pretty important in social media. Not only do they prove you care about who you’re talking to, it shows that there’s a pretty good chance your a real person. Let’s take a look at some of the places you could easily be a little more polite and show off your social media etiquette.
Thank You
The always appreciated and simple “thanks” can go a long way in social media. For example:
- If someone retweets your post – Thanks for the RT!
- If someone comments on your blog and commends you – Say Thank you
- If you get a comment on your facebook picture, why not say thanks?
Please
Sometimes you need to ask for a favor through social media, and sometimes that person is a stranger. If you say please, there’s a much better chance your request will be well received
- If you ask for a LinkedIn connection, just ask politely and say please
- Want someone to join your network, group, page, etc? Send an invite saying asking if they would please consider joining
You’re Welcome
Good old you’re welcome also known as the other side of thank you, always a good idea to let them know their thank you was received
- If someone thanks you for giving their product a good review on your blog, say you’re welcome, no problem, my pleasure, etc. you get the point
- If you digg, reddit, prop, whatever someones content and they say thanks, let them know you got it – there’s a good chance they’ll reciprocate
- Let’s say you go on a retweet rampage one day and you get a ton of “thanks for the RT’s”, just let them know you’re happy to do it and to send over any more good content
Excuse Me
Excuse me is a little bit tricky. How do you excuse yourself in an open discussion? Well, there’s always an occasion
- If you jump into a discussion via Twitter or Facebook, just pardon (or excuse) your interruption so you don’t look like you’re bullying in
- Have a different opinion than the author of a blog? Don’t just begin criticizing, but politely disagree, and make sure to excuse the intrusion
- Doing a little forum marketing? Go for it, but please do excuse the shameless self-promotion, it might make it easier to digest
Congratulations
One of the easiest ways to get into a conversation is by congratulating someone
- If one of your twitter followers has good news, just say “congratulations” and if they have social media manners, they’ll say “thanks” and boom – an instant opening for more discussion
- You happen to see a blog post where someone is excited about getting major press, you could give them a “great news” or “happy for you”
- One of your colleagues announcing any kind of exciting or positive business or family news, say congratulations!
Just these little exercises can help your online reputation go a long way as well as open up opportunities to speak with potential clients, connections, employers, or friends. Always remember you’re still dealing with people so it’s always better to be polite, just try it.
