3 Fatal Social Media Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

 

We’re all into social media now – even the baby boomers like myself. I must be getting crankier in my old age because social media is really starting to annoy me. Or should I say certain actions in social media are very annoying.

My top 3 annoyances in social media:

1. Asking your network to help you with something and never saying thank you.

I’m all for asking for help from your network. After all, that’s what it’s there for. Everytime one of my connections asks me to vote for them for something, I do it. I also send them a nice reply saying that I’ve done so. Do you know that not once have I received a thank you for doing that.

My 2012 resolution is to now ignore these requests.

The simple fix: Always say thank you whenever someone helps you.

2. Continually asking your network for leads, suggestions etc., yet never having the time to reciprocate.

Come on, we’re all busy, but if I help you, I’d like to think that somewhere down the line that you will help me. Several recruiter ‘friends’ (and I use that term very loosely), have asked for help in filling positions or information. I’ve been happy to help when I could. But, when ever I send them a request for information, I never get a reply. Guess what? These folks are no longer part of my network.

The simple fix: If someone has helped you, be sure you reciprocate.

3. Sending a barrage of annoying updates, rants, political vitriol etc.

I’m all for free speech, but I don’t want to hear your whining about a particular candidate. Chances are I’m on the opposite end of the political spectrum, so I don’t agree with you anyway.

Asking me to post a stupid update on my Facebook page, even for a good cause like Susan G. Komen, doesn’t help the cause. As far as I’m concerned it just shows how easily people follow other people’s actions.

The simple fix: Think before you post anything online.

What about you? What social media actions annoy you?