Social Media Etiquette Refresh: Putting Your Best Foot Forward

Technology has made much of our lives available online to people near and far. With the National Day of Unplugging happening this week, it’s a good time for some social media etiquette tips as you consider the message your posts are sending to your friends, followers or potential clients.

Poor social media manners can cause quite a stir, especially for public figures and private community members—posts can come back to haunt them, damaging their image and careers.

While you may not plan to run for office or take on a high-profile position, you do interact socially and may one day need to apply for a new job or take a leadership position in your community. Additionally, if you own a business or are thinking about taking on some consulting work as an expert in your field, social media can be a valuable source for referrals.

In any of these scenarios, others will likely look at your online profiles to learn more about you.
Now is a good time to consider how the content you share may help or harm you in the future.

Here are some social media etiquette reminders for making sure your online presence reflects your best self.

Social Media Etiquette Refresh: Putting Your Best Foot Forward

Use Social Media to Elevate

The best social updates share valuable information, offer inspiration or help us stay connected to family and friends. The overall tone of your posts should leave others feeling encouraged—at least most of the time. Especially for those hoping to land new clients, aim for a good mix of helpful content. When you post inflammatory, inappropriate or offensive rhetoric, your words are bound to come back to haunt you. Everyone is entitled to speak freely, but no one is immune from the repercussions of what you say. You can share your political views online, but a potential client or employer can also choose not to hire you.

Give More Than You Take

We all get in the habit of scrolling social media without stopping to leave a comment or answer a question a friend has posted. However, making the shift towards pausing to leave a reply or share a link when they are looking for recommendations is a simple act that shows you care. You may even help a trusted resource grow their business or spark a new connection. You never know when your friend may return the favor down the road.

Consider Your Image

The person reflected in your social media accounts should mirror your values and goals.
If this isn’t the case, it may be time to review your posts and remove those that don’t represent the person you are today. And while it goes without saying, this is especially true for recent college graduates entering the job market. While you should never create a false image, it is possible to be authentic, showing how you help your community, the activities you enjoy doing with family and friends and particular causes you support.

Know When to Keep Scrolling

Avoid heated online debates, as emotions can run high and intent is easily misinterpreted. Just because a close contact posts something that doesn’t sit right with you doesn’t mean you need to respond online (or at all). Remember that shared contacts (and others) will be able to see your comments, and while proving a point feels urgent at the moment, practicing restraint will serve you well in the long run.

Every “Like” and “Follow” May Be In View

You may have come across a celebrity headline announcing one person has unfollowed a former partner. Scandalous! In all seriousness, this can serve as a reminder that your social media activity—such as accounts you follow and posts you like—may be visible to others, depending on the platform and your settings. Before you “like” or “love” a post, be sure to read the caption and keep this in mind. The same goes for following new accounts; especially on Instagram, with a simple click, others can see every account you’re following and begin to paint a picture about your likes, dislikes and more.

Utilize Your Settings

Most platforms allow you to make your accounts private, which gives you some control over who sees your posts. That may limit access to your online presence, but it doesn’t prevent other people from sharing photos of you. Even with your profile visible only to trusted friends, there is still the chance that someone will share something you’d rather they didn’t. There’s no such thing as privacy on social media—always be impeccable in your behavior.

You May Go Viral (and Not in a Good Way)

Remember any time you post, it is no longer within your control. Whether it’s your best moment or one you’d rather forget, once it’s on social media, it’s forever. From words to pictures, your content can take on a life of its own, even if you delete it. Before you post, think of whether or not you’d like your mother or your mentor to see it; if you can’t honestly answer yes, think twice about posting.

Are you interested in more resources around a social media etiquette refresh? You may also like Social Media Dating Etiquette: Do I Need To Delete Photos of My Ex? Be sure to check out The Protocol School of Texas. Read Diane’s posts on Inc., subscribe to her articles on The Huffington Post, “like” The Protocol School of Texas on Facebook, and follow her on Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.