Apr
The Etiquette of Social Media
I was asked to speak on “The Etiquette of Social Media” for a group of realtors at John Stewart Walker tomorrow morning.
After agreeing I couldn’t help but laugh. Etiquette…?
Social media is an experiment. There are no rules… the sky is the limit. (Via @appomattox_news)
So instead of etiquette lets talk about what social media is and how you can use it to your advantage.
1. Social Media is a way for people to DO IT THEMSELVES.
Ahh! This is scary. If people can do it themselves… then why do they need us?
Social media is bringing people away from looking to the experts (CEOs of companies) and moving towards groups of people coming together regardless of title to share ideas, information, perspectives and to drive positive change. (via @joegerstandt).
But wait a second… this actually presents us with an opportunity. If people are listening to other people… then its our perfect chance to step in and show people why they need us.
2. Social Media is a Result of Companies Not Listening
We have two ears and one mouth, we need to use them proportionately. Social media is a result of the company not listening to the customer. via @joshjq
People are talking. If you hurt your own reputation… people are talking. If you create positive feedback… people are still talking.
3. Social media takes 6 degrees of separation and gives us closer access to people we are further away from
Social media is a way for us to expand our relationships. It brings networking and collaboration to a whole new level.
Heh…funny, isn’t it? People assume that since Social Media is associated with shiny new technologies, that it is some complicated beast with new rules and ways to communicate.
I always tell people that “It’s just communication! The same principles still apply!”
Here are 6 principles I use in my presentations that you might find helpful in answering (defusing?) the “etiquette” question.
1 – Open and transparent is best – We can all relate to a story about “hidden agendas”
2 – Two way conversation; both talking and listening -We all have an friend who talks about himself/herself
3 – Listening is more important than talking – An anecdote about ‘active listening’ rings well with those who have professional managerial training
4 – Everyone has a different style of communication – We all know someone who ONLY emails
5 – Adding more people requires more organization – Talk about a meeting that spun out of control because of too many people
6 – The message is impacted by the method – Ever miscommunicated over email? We all can relate to that…