Blog General thoughts
My social media experience has been (is being) formed by interaction on several popular social networks. It changes daily, but there's a few things I've noticed that one should probably avoid doing.
Of course, I don't wish to sound preachy, so take this with a pinch of salt. Social Media is what you make of it, after all.
1. Don't Use Your Service as a Megaphone Only
This is a big one for me. The first word in Social Media is social, meaning creating and maintaining relationships and discussion around various content, users, friends, etc. If you don't reciprocate, how can you expect to keep those relationships, or stimulate discussion? Unless you're strictly breaking news, megaphoning will distance you from the people who actually like you.
2. Don't Lie
With today's internet, people can access information about you with suprising ease, therefore it can sometimes be trivial to fact check people against their claims. Especially if you're looking for work, don't ever lie online, it may cost you that cushy new job.
3. Don't Be Intolerant
People from all walks of life frequent social media networks. If you harbor any hateful or resentful feelings against people of any race, religion (or lack thereof) or sexual persuasion, it's best to leave it at home. There's nothing wrong with polite debate, but outright slander is an easy way to ensure your message is ignored, and your audience is thoroughly reduced.
4. Don't Spam Your Feeds
Some companies and marketing individuals often request that you add them to your feed, appearing like they wish to be genuine contacts, then proceed to fill your feed with ad after ad. Others simply tweet link after link to their blog posts or content without break. In the case of Twitter at least, it's extremely hard as a follower to hide this activity without blocking. Spamming will almost always lead to a blocking / un-following and a bad reputation.
5. Don't Leave Your Profile/Bio Empty
Believe it or not, people do wish to know a bit about you, and even visit your site. Make sure you fill in your profiles and bios with clear, concise information about who you are and what you do. If job-seeking, ensure you add a bit about your skills.