The 7 Golden Rules of Social Media

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if you use twitter, SU, digg, facebook, flickr, reddit, etc, these principles will have you nodding your head:

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1. if you want people to pay attention to you, you have to pay attention to them.

put simply, you must RECIPROCATE. without this, nothing will happen for you. You can add as many friends as you want, spew out as many messages as possible, but people will just ignore you. Social media is about Establishing Relationships. This, first and foremost.

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2. no more spam

bad behaviour is punished with a simple block or unfollow. Instant lifelong banishment. Goodbye to the spam of the email days; in social media YOU have control over what you see and what you don’t see. Big difference.

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3. good stuff spreads. Fast.

this is like the word-of-mouth effect in the real world, except times 100. even 1000. Good stuff reaches ‘1 person’ they pass it onto 7, then 7 times 7, in a chain that ripples out in MINUTES. Stuff that is GOLD does rise to the top. Fast.

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4. be real

doesn’t matter what social network you’re on, keep it real. People will appreciate this no end. Everyone is sick of reading advertising copy all over the web, show some humor, insanity, goofiness, or insight. Be different, be real. No-one is as boring as a newsreader. INJECT personality. everyone’s got it, just let it show 🙂

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5. pick your avatar carefully

doesn’t matter if it’s your real face, a cartoon character, a famous portrait, or just a logo, your Avatar says EVERYTHING. It’s the first point of contact, and the first thing that people will associate with you. Even more than your user name. It sums you up … in 90 by 90 pixels. Choose wisely.

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6. log on daily

this sounds like a pure no-brainer, but I have come across people that use twitter maybe once a week. BIG NO NO! the web runs at Warp Speed! Like warp 9.9, doesn’t get much faster than that! If you really want to be in a Social Network, you have to be available, and commit something of yourself to it. It doesn’t have to be hours a day (although some people take this route), but a once-a-day checkin is the very minimum. Be active, be involved, be alive.

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7. ask questions, and learn

social networks are evolving systems. Everyone has a piece of the puzzle, some individual insight based on their total experience. There’s HEAPS to learn. If someone seems to be doing it better than you, just ask. It’s very flattering when someone says: “how did you do that” … and in most cases, they will share some of their knowledge. It only empowers YOU to ask questions, doesn’t make you look dumb at all. Be humble, and open.

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that’s just a few of the things I’ve learnt!

blessings, and peace,

ggw

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