Learn 6 Rules Of Online Interaction

It’s completely changed the fabric of how we do business: from publicising images to marketing tactics and communication, our daily life is inundated with a constant barrage of notifications and a conditioned head-down-to-phone routine.

Unfortunately, if you aren’t using social media to its fullest, then you may be left behind.

People are sharing and interacting more than ever, so it’s crucial to use social media properly and distinctively.

1. Don’t tie your social networks together: Yes, there are options available which can sync all of your social accounts together, meaning what you post to Facebook automatically posts to Google+ or anything you post to Twitter automatically posts to Facebook. Sounds perfect, right? Well, it actually has a negative impact on your social engagement. No one wants to see the same exact text or photo multiple times over multiple networks. Take the extra time and post to each network, sometimes exclusively and in turn you’ll see increased activity to your updates.

2. Don’t abuse tagging: Let’s face it, people have the tendency to be tag happy. Some tag others even though they may have nothing to do with the image or update. There is a pre-conditioned stigma that more tags equals more reach without thinking of the unfavorable consequences of that tag such as a reported photo or an un-follow.

Be smart with your tags and stagger them over a period of time for more favourable reach. But don’t go overboard, such as tagging others in concert flyers or repeated tags in photos that do not include that person. When uploading images to Facebook, tag your collaborators or subjects in the photo itself and not the caption. This will give you more flexibility and will allow you to spread the tags over a period of time. No one wants two notifications from the same post, which is exactly what would happen if you tag someone in the caption and the photo.

This abuse can also be said for hashtagging: playful terms meant for searching. To many social media fanatics it has become more about the likes and follows that come from hastagging than the actual content uploaded. When used properly hashtags can be fun, witty and informative, but excessive use results in spam.

3. Don’t troll (deliberate rude comment): These days people love to talk trash with the comfort of hiding behind a computer. Also, many love giving out a public opinion without having any pre-notion or knowledge of the discussion at hand. It goes back to the old saying: "If you don’t have anything nice to say don't say anything at all." If you want to get respect you have to give respect. If you feel the inclination to offer a strong opinion, then do it constructively so it enlightens and does not insult others.

4. Don’t spam (private messaging included): Text, Enter. Text, Text, Enter. It happens to many every day. There is nothing worse than a quick "texter" spewing out sentence after sentence giving your smartphone a vibration heart attack. Gather your thoughts and write out a message in a thought out paragraph, your pal on the other end with thank you for it. We live in a busy world, so unless it’s friend chatter back and forth, get to the point. With updates, it all comes back to being consistent and posting regularly with a balance. With Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, posting inconsistently or spamming can result in a bad taste in the mouth of your followers, so much they may un-follow or remove you from their feed.

5. Give credit where it is due: Copyright infringement and intellectual property is a hot topic these days. It seems as if there is a new viral story every day about some brand or business grabbing an image off Google and using it in promotions without compensation or credit to the photographer. It’s important to give proper credit to those involved and make sure you have the right permission. Whether it is a creative director, makeup artist, model, hair stylist, re-toucher or assistant, everyone deserves credit where credit is due. And please, list the credits in an organised list with titles, not a random blast of names.

6. Don’t beg for engagement: Luckily, Facebook has decided to crack down on what we like to call "Like Bait," a photo or update which includes something such as "Please Share!" "Like This And Win!" The algorithm should help eliminate a lot of spam accounts, but there will always be those starving for attention. Recommendation: instead of asking for attention, ask a question and your audience is much more likely to engage in conversation. If you have good creative content or imagery, it will share itself.

After reading all this you’re probably feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. There are shortcuts to this whole social game, but it’s very much a give and take state of mind.

In order to take those precious likes and comments you’ll need to give good original content.

Source: Fstoppers