You are what you tweet: How to practice good etiquette with social media

With more individuals and businesses communicating online, proper social media etiquette is definitely key in making the right impressions among those you wish to establish a long-term and stable relationship with.  I have talked about this subject when I have given my “how to manage your online reputation” lecture to public relations students at the University of Tennessee, and I stress the importance of this especially to those students that are actively looking for future public relations positions after graduation. From what to do on blogs to Facebook to Twitter – we all need to know what are the proper protocols in communicating and interacting in this new medium.

It is important to not only know what is social media and how to use it, but more importantly – why we use it and how to have proper etiquette.  For example, according to a recent article that appeared in Forbes, there are numerous things that public relations professionals and others have to consider when operating and communicating online.  From when you can be communicating on your Blackberry to how long you can wait until you respond to an inquiry on Facebook or Twitter – it all comes down to timing and the situation, and those individuals that are involved.

One interesting point that was made in the Forbes article is the fact that people are having to manage their “multiple selves.”  What exactly does this mean?  That people are presenting themselves with their colleagues and another persona with their friends?  Well, I think that if people just present themselves in a professional and positive manner across all those they interact with – they won’t have to be worried about presenting “multiple selves.”

That just doesn’t make sense.  I have told my students that they have to have a balanced presence online – meaning that they need to be professional online as well as in real life – this will establish a good and strong reputation among colleagues, friends, fellow students, and the rest of the online community.

Hope you all are having a great day!

Best Wishes,

Karen