Social Media Etiquette

As you get older, it's a good idea to start using social media in a more serious and professional way. Colleges, employers, and more look at your social media and how you use it. Social media is the best way to brand yourself and show others what your personality is. It's super important to make sure you follow the proper etiquette in order to use social media correctly.

one // have separate accounts

I have two different Twitter and Instagram accounts. One Twitter and Instagram are for my personal use with people I know in real life. My other Twitter is for my blog/entrepreneur/tweet chat/business use. And my other Instagram is pretty much only for blog use. Having more than one account isn't absolutely necessary, but it's definitely a good idea. My audience on my professional Twitter is completely different from my audience on my personal Twitter, and I obviously like to tweet things from my professional one that I wouldn't normal tweet on my personal one. Having a professional account is a great way to brand yourself and show what you're interested in.

two // always interact

This one is super obvious, but always interact! I reply to every tweet and comment whenever I can, unless I know for a fact that it's spam. Not replying/favoriting/retweeting can actually come off as rude. You want to make sure that you hear everything your followers tell you and that you make sure no message gets left unnoticed.

three // stay appropriate

Always make sure that everything you post is appropriate. Before you post something, think to yourself, Would I want my parents, college admissions, and potential employers to see this? You can delete something, but it will stay on the Internet forever. Stay away from inappropriate pictures, words, and swearing. Sometimes people can brand themselves using swears (Tori Molnar does that and it's AWESOME!), but I make sure to never swear on my professional Twitter because depending on your voice, it can come out as super unprofessional.

four // post consistently

You don't need to post every second of every day, but you want to make sure to post consistently. If you go for a while without posting, you will lose followers. Those followers could have been potential clients, friends, readers, contacts, and more. Keeping your social media platforms up to date makes you look good because people always like to see what other people are up to.

five // use few hashtags

Hashtags can be super helpful when it comes to searching a topic or participating in a tweet chat. I rarely use hashtags, and if I do, they aren't very serious ones. The only time I really use hashtags is during tweet chats, but that's vital in making sure people see your posts. One thing that really irritates me is when people add a million hashtags on Instagram to their pictures. I understand that they're trying to get more followers, but most people who follow you after you use a million hashtags aren't genuine followers; you want to try to get real, interactive followers. It also honestly distracts from a picture if you have a whole comment full of hashtags. If I'm scrolling through my Instagram feed and see a ton of hashtags, I always end up looking at the hashtags before looking at the actual picture! Less is more in this case.

six // never buy followers

I have never understood why people would buy followers. None of those followers are real, genuine people. You want your followers to be real, resourceful people that you can interact and network with. Numbers aren't everything if the majority of the followers are just spam accounts. Less is more in this case as well!

seven // stay relevant

This is one of the most important things for social media. Since you're posting from a computer, tablet, or phone, you aren't actually face-to-face with other people. You need to make sure that the things you are posting reflect who you are; don't try to be something you're not because it will just come back to kick you in the butt. Post about things that interest you and stay relevant to you. For example, I post a lot of fun, blogger-type photos on my blog Instagram. They all fit in with that account because that account is specifically meant for blogging. On my professional Twitter, I post about things that have to do with blogging, business, fashion, social media, entrepreneurship, and more. Those all stay relevant to my account because that is exactly what I use that account for. The goal is to make your social media so much like you that if you were to meet one of your followers one day, they'll say, "Wow, she is just like the way I thought she would be from what I could tell on her Instagram and Twitter." Be just one pereson!

My professional Twitter has become so much more important to me ever since I opened my business because it will help me to gain great contacts and potential clients. People are always saying negative things about social media, so use the proper etiquette in order to use social media in a positive and beneficial way.

What do you use for your social media etiquette?