ETIQUETTE IS IMPORTANT ON LINKEDIN, FACEBOOK, & OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA

Posted by David Sher in Facebook, LinkedIn, Social MediaDec 7th, 2009 | 4 responses

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I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was viewing an e-mail I received on LinkedIn. It’s the kind of LinkedIn e-mail I get on a regular basis, where one of my connections asks for an introduction.  I really enjoy helping people so making introductions is something I do regularly. I also ask for introductions myself—so it is something everyone expects.

 In any event, I was surprised to see that the request wasn’t for one introduction…it was for a lengthy list of introductions. Evidently, my friend had reviewed all his prospects and matched them against my LinkedIn connections.

 I think that’s a bit aggressive and over-the-line. It’s reasonable to ask someone to make an introduction every now and again, but certainly not to ask for a long list of introductions.

 The same individual, by the way, had run a status update on LinkedIn the previous day specifically asking for business. These are examples of bad etiquette.

 I also see people regularly breaking conventional etiquette on Facebook.  Facebook is primarily a social platform.  People mistakenly try to turn Facebook into a business generator.  Now, I feel its okay to do some business on Facebook if your postings are mainly social.  It’s also okay to do business on your business or fan page…since your friends can opt in or out.  Have you ever been to a Saturday night party and someone followed you around trying to do business with you?  Didn’t make you like them, did it?

 If you want to be successful with your social media relationships, it’s important to follow the appropriate etiquette.

 This is David Sher your e-Networking guy saying it’s not what you know, but whOO you know.

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4 Responses to “ETIQUETTE IS IMPORTANT ON LINKEDIN, FACEBOOK, & OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA”

  1. Ben Zito says:
    December 11, 2009 at 9:20 am

    My friend, Phil, asked me a question….. Is Facebook for Business or Personal
    use??????? He stated that
    LinkedIn was business and Facebook was personal……… This inspired me to answer
    the question……. Both………

    There are many examples for Personal use of Facebook but there are just as many
    examples for the Business aspects…ie: David Sher, Lori Ruff, Anne Wehner, and
    Rami……The list goes on and on….

    Why just today, …(Note: I, Ben Zito, am just a Rookie on Facebook and
    LinkedIn)… a customer called for an estimate…….She stated that she had my direct
    mail advertisement…. Looked me up in the phonebook….Found my web site… and called
    the BBB, where Cherokee Hills Painting has an A+ rating…
    All this was done in her research, but it still was not enough to move her to
    make the call to Ben Zito of Cherokee Hills Painting……
    Then, while she was browsing on Facebook, she saw that I was a friend of a
    friend…. That was it….
    She made the call… The estimate is tomorrow….

    To find new work for a Painting Contractor after Thanksgiving, is almost
    unheard……I have been in the Painting Business for 25 years………..
    LinkedIn and Facebook are “GREAT BUSINESS TOOLS”…..
    Yes, there is a “fine Line”…. Too much of any one item is never a good idea…

    Being a Rookie to Social Media, this is just the beginning…..
    I’ll keep you updated……….

    Ben Zito
    Cherokee Hills Painting

  2. David Sher says:
    December 11, 2009 at 1:31 pm

    Ben,
    Thank you for your comments. You really have a clear understanding of social media and traditional networking…and now how to use them to grow your business.
    David

  3. Lisa Isbell says:
    January 3, 2010 at 6:20 pm

    David I love what you’re doing and am excited to see WeMentor grow and flourish. Here are my thoughts:

    RE: Facebook v LinkedIn for Business…
    Facebook is a powerful tool for business via the Fanpage. I too find it a bit annoying when someone turns their facebook account into a running commercial but I see nothing wrong with an occasional mention of your goods/services and directing friends to the fanpage and/or blog. Plus, I can simply hide their feed if I find it too irritating and we can remain Facebook friends, though less in tune with one another. In my view the key is to have a fanpage so you have a place on FB to direct any who are interested in your entrepreneurial pursuits without clobbering those who aren’t with information they don’t want. Everybody wins.

    I also steer clear of chastising anyone on Social Media platforms for etiquette considerations. I recently read the book Tribes by Seth Godin. In it he touts the virtues of being a business heretic, that is one who refuses to follow along according to the way things have always been done and takes the freedom to do things differently.

    I submit that behavior is self-corrected by cause and effect in Social Media land since you will not receive the desired outcome if you cannot build a following (a tribe to use Godin’s language). If you can build a tribe and the tribe sustains you then there is little reason to pay attention to critics since they can opt out of the tribe (or toss the offending party out of theirs) and be blissfully unaware from that day forward. So etiquette is no longer an issue if the tribe is good with your style of communication.

    When one doesn’t get the desired outcome behavior will be forced to modify and everybody wins. We have the power to individually choose what we will accept within these platforms and leave each to his/her own.

    The thing I love most about Social Media is it allows us to just be ourselves without the need for approval or any particular credentials. It gives us all a voice and levels the playing field so that any with an entrepreneurial vision truly has an opportunity at success. What a dull world it would be if we all perform lock-step, the same thing as everyone else :-)

  4. David Sher says:
    January 4, 2010 at 8:51 am

    Lisa,
    Very insightful. You have given me a lot to think about.
    David

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