Social media is enabling conversations and content creation that were not possible just a few short years ago. The original platforms that were designed primarily for students to connect with each other have become mainstream and plenty of business is now being done via social media.

Once you have made the decision that social media is right for you and/or your business and you have selected the most appropriate social media platform(s), here are some basic rules to keep in mind.

  1. Social MediaBe consistent – you can’t post once a month or every several weeks and hope to achieve business results; followers and fans look for consistency. In order to achieve the results you want from social media, you must commit to a regular schedule of updates (i.e. at least a few times per week).
  2. Engage in conversation – social media is not about one-way dialog or endless self-promotion; rather, it is a tool for engaging in conversation and sharing relevant information. Think about how you approach someone at a networking reception and how the conversation generally unfolds – approach your social media conversations the same way. 
  3. Remember to listen – social media doesn’t mean you do all of the talking; it’s equally important to listen to the conversation going on around you. Follow or fan those people that you find interesting and engage in their conversation too. There are also various tools (i.e. TweetDeck and HootSuite) available to help you listen for what is being said about your company or brand. Make sure you know what others are saying about you in their conversations. 
  4. Be appropriate but show your personality too – you never know who might see what you are posting on social media platforms, so think before you post. If you are using social media for professional reasons, remember to stay professional in your tone and words. This doesn’t mean you have to be all business all of the time – feel free to go off-topic occasionally to help people know you as a person, but keep it appropriate. If you are on Facebook for professional and personal use, keep content separate using the privacy settings.  
  5. Contribute – social media is more than just reading blogs, posting links, and retweeting. Sharing good content is important, but so is developing your own. Whether you want to educate, inform, or even entertain your audience, make sure that you are contributing. Just remember #2 – your content shouldn’t all be just about you.

Social media evolves and changes every day and you must stay current on the latest developments, trends, and etiquette on your platform, but these basic guidelines will help you stay relevant and interesting to your audience.

(This article also appeared in the November/December issue of MPI to Eye, a publication of the Philadelphia Area Chapter of Meeting Professionals International)