Do Better: Social Media Etiquette – BONUS Episode 3 of Rants & Randomness
My peoples, welcome back to Rants and Randomness! This week, we’re taking a closer look at social media etiquette for businesses.
Download BONUS Episode 3 TranscriptEveryone has a story to tell, and social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter make it easy for us to share our experiences with millions of people. But we also need to recognize that our tactics can have a negative impact on others, particularly when we’re promoting our own products and services online. Download the transcripts to learn more about my strategies for building professional relationships on social media.
Social media has changed the way that we interact with people on a daily basis:
- There are 3.80 billion active social media users (almost 50% of the world’s total population). (Data Portal 2020)
- More than 60% of Instagram and Facebook users log in once a day or multiple times a day. (Pew Research Center 2019)
- Many social media users spend more time online than they do asleep—the average American spends 6+ hours on digital media platforms every day. (Our World In Data 2019)
With billions of people on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, it’s not surprising that name brands, influencers, and small business owners are using these apps to promote their own products and services. If you’re trying to build a business from the ground up, you are going to need to find positive ways to make your mark on other social media users. And that’s not going to happen if you spam popular accounts, or try to slide into the DMs of celebrities you don’t know.
Here are some of my rules for interacting with influencers on social media:
It’s All About Relationships
If you walked up to a stranger on the street and shouted, “Hey! Tell your friend about my mixtape!”, they would run in the other direction. Because it doesn’t matter how good your intentions are or how interesting your mixtape is—they have no clue who you are. The only thing they know about you is that you’re the type of person who yells at strangers in the middle of the road.
The same rules apply on social media. You can’t message a complete stranger and expect them to respond to you if you haven’t laid the foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship. You need to start from the ground up, by following their accounts, responding to their posts, interacting in the comments section, and being respectful of social media boundaries.
When you’ve taken the time to cultivate a positive relationship with another user, it shows—and people will start to respond more positively to your requests.
Make It Easy For Influencers To Say Yes To You
And when they respond, you need to make it easy for people to do what you want them to do. Don’t tell them to follow you on all of your social media profiles if you really want to connect on Instagram. Don’t send them five links when you’re trying to get them to visit your website. Don’t ask them to do something for you before you introduce yourself and explain how you can be an asset to their brand, because it’s not a smart business tactic—it’s just rude. When you take time to make sure that they like and appreciate you, it will be easier for you to get their support online.
Much love to Chicago Recording Company, where I record each episode!
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