Golden Rules of Social Media

Social media has become a free form means of delivering personal messages that take many forms. Posts range from useful to vitriolic. It would seen that perhaps there should be some generally accepted Rules for Social Media. OK so it’s a bit presumptuous of me, but here are some suggestions I picked up from Social Media Consultant Aliza Sherman. Take them for what they are worth.

Respect the Spirit of the Net. It was meant for communication and connection to people and information.
Listen. It will give you a sense of what people are saying and feeling. It will also help you map your social media footprint.
Add Value. Always ask yourself: How is this providing value to the conversation? To the community?
Respond. A quick response is more important than ever. Don’t be a dam in a conversation flow.
Do Good Things. Perpetuate social responsibility in all you do.
Share the Wealth. If you’ve got it, share it, spread it around. Sharing is the fule of a conversation engine.
Give Kudos. Nothing is wrong with self promotion but things really take off when you give others their moment in the spotlight.
Don’t Spam. I just don’t have the time, tolerance or bandwidth to deal with it.
Be Real. Be yourself. You’ll have far better and more long-lasting positive results than if you try to be something you are not.
Collaborate. Social media tools are just that....tools. The real power is people. We are the media.