LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites all give us the power to connect with friends, family, and business contacts. However, when social media is used badly, it also has the power to smear the reputations of even the most powerful people. Here are a few ways to keep your reputation on the internet clean.
Be respectful
Yes, you may be on the internet but that does not give you a license to be rude. Being disrespectful on the web is the online equivalent of throwing a fit or hurling insults at somebody in a public place. It is sure to attract attention but it is the kind that you most definitely do not want. This is where the saying “if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all” comes into play.
Respond
The reason why you are on social media is so you can interact and by ignoring comments or replies on posts, you are being rude and ruining the whole purpose of social networking. When you make a post, keep track of the comments you get by showing gratitude for compliments or address complaints promptly. This shows that you care and value your friends or followers.
Post interesting content
You want to share a link but omit anything that describes it. Chances are your friends or followers will show no interest in it. When you post, make sure the content is going to catch their attention and compel them to interact. Be creative but do not come off as pushy or obnoxious. This may prompt more negative than positive feedback and make your social media strategy backfire.
Filter the photos you are tagged in
Do not set your privacy settings to allow everyone to tag each and every single photo of you. There are bound to be rather unflattering pictures of you and it is best that you nip it at the bud by restricting the photos that show up on your Timeline. This will prevent people from seeing you in compromising situations.
Endorse others
Using social media effectively entails building relationship with business contacts and others in your network. One way you can do this is by endorsing or promoting others by attributing something interesting or clever to them in a post or update. This gives them due credit and tells them that you are in a position to help others out. On LinkedIn, endorse individuals who excel in their field and let their talents shine through. Never take someone else’s post and pass it off as your own or without recognizing them. You will be seen as a sneaky thief.
A good thing to remember when using social media is that you are in there to attract the best people you possibly can and interact with them. Some rules are just plain politeness yet a lot of people seem to forget them because of the veil of anonymity that being on the internet provides.
Author’s Bio:
Henry Conrad is a 29-year-old game developer from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Aside from gaming and being a tech junky, he also dabbles in creative writing, which allows him to create great storylines and backgrounds for his characters. Follow me on Twitter and join me in Google +