It has been incredibly interesting to watch the big three social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) grow over the past decade or so. Now that I think about it, when I first signed up with each of these social networks it kind of felt similar to that feeling you get when you buy a shiny new gadget. A sort of millennial-inspired sentimentality I guess. I would get so excited each time I figured out something new or when new functions were added. The learning curves were larger for some networks over others, but I eventually found myself becoming a more model user.
After using these accounts for some time and with a stable Klout score hovering in the high 50s, I have found that there are some unspoken set of rules to follow. More importantly, when these rules are not followed, you run the risk of being “that guy or gal” everyone quietly unfollows, blocks or defriends. For those who haven’t had these accounts for long or just want to be more appreciated on the big three, here are a few tips on how individual users should, or at least were intended to, interact with each of these sites.
A few general guidelines:
Unarguably the most talked about network, I consider Facebook to be an amateur, but brilliant, self-promotional tool. What Facebook has allowed you to create is more or less the idealized online version of yourself. Everything from life changes to pictures you tag yourself creates a searchable and personalized online autobiography. However, this also allows overzealous updates that are largely unwelcome. Unless you are a business using Facebook, this is not a place for long-form blog entries, nor is it a platform where your first impressions of everything and everyone should be shared. Privacy features have definitely come a long way, but each time you post to Facebook, it is highly visible, and yes, even google-able. If you wouldn’t want your grandmother or employer to see it, best to not post it.
Friend requests should also be limited to people you have met or eventually intend to meet. When Facebook first rolled out, this was the first mistake people made. As an earlier adopter, by the time I was in college my newsfeed was full of strangers.
The basic goal of having a Twitter account is to build your own community. Follow the people, businesses and news outlets you like, ignore the ones you don’t. I didn't adopt Twitter as early as others, but have had an account for about five years now.
If you want anyone, even businesses, to notice that you indeed do exist on Twitter, you must do a couple things. (If you are a celebrity, disregard this advice). A few things I noticed right off the bat was the appreciation other users had when their 140 characters were retweeted, replied to, or favorited. Also, a general rule of thumb was that more than 2 hashtags is a no-no and you should always try to include a @mention. Unlike Facebook, the general guidelines are less strict. This is mostly due to the brief lifespan of a tweet and also the fact that gaining more followers, whoever they may be, is more indicative of the validity of your account.
The most “mature” of the social networks, LinkedIn gives you a platform to advertise your professional self. Expanding your network and all updates should align with your current professional and future goals. You are or will be connected to your employer and coworkers eventually so everything you publish should be work safe. Of the big three this is one network where your profile picture is actually important. Make sure it is high quality with you as the only subject (no group shots), and more or less how you would look when you come to work. This is also absolutely a case where you have to know someone or have the intention to meet before you connect.
For all of the big three it’s best to follow a few key rules:
- Be polite
- Always check spelling
- Don’t always go with your gut feeling when you post something
- Say "thank you" when necessary
- Only share personal information (address, phone numbers) with those you trust
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