Category Archives: Social Media Etiquette

National Unfriend Day – What’s the Etiquette of Facebook?

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Lydia Ramsey

Did you know that today is National Unfriend Day? This event was the brain child of Jimmy Kimmel, who came up with the notion as a joke in 2010. National Unfriend Day is a time when you rid yourselves of all those so-called “friends” you have on Facebook. You know the ones I mean–the people whose names you don’t recognize or whose pictures doesn’t look the least bit familiar–probably because those are in fact photos of their pets or grandchildren.

If you could take a poll of people on the street similar to the one Jimmy Kimmel did with people wearing face masks (so as to conceal their identity), you would find all sorts of reasons people give for unfriending others. The impetus for dropping so-called friends ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Here are but a few of the Facebook “friends” you might want to abandon:

The people who are not truly friends. You know this because if you became ill, they wouldn’t show up with a pot of chicken soup. In fact, if you died, they wouldn’t come to your funeral. They probably wouldn’t even know you were dead unless someone posted it on Facebook.
The people who wish you a happy birthday online but wouldn’t go to the trouble of calling or sending you a card. They probably don’t know your phone number.
The people who send you quotes every day of things other people have said. They never have an original thought, or if they do, you don’t know it.
The people you only hear from when they are on vacation in some exotic place. Meanwhile you are back home slaving away at your job.
The people who think you want to see what they ate for dinner last night.
The people who post nothing but political rants. Clearly their point of view is the only one that counts.
And my personal favorite; The people who think because you too are an animal lover, you want to see every horrible act of animal cruelty that they can turn up.

That is the short list. I am sure you can add to it and wish you would. But how do you unfriend others? It’s easy. You simply go to your Facebook page, Click the “Friend” box to the right of their name and their cat’s photograph, You will get a drop down list with the last option being “Unfriend.” Click it and poof–unfriended!

Chances are they will never notice and certainly never miss you. After all, it has always been about them and not about you. The next time you go to your Facebook page, you’ll be amazed at how neat and trim it will be. It’s somewhat akin to separating the wheat from the chaff.

Who are the people that you would like to unfriend???

Photo from Savannah magazine

Hire Lydia to work with your staff to improve customer service and employee relations through the use of those priceless and often over-looked soft skills called manners. Lydia is the “unstuffy” business etiquette expert who helps individuals and organizations add the polish that builds profits. We’re talking about your bottom line here.

Since 1996, countless people have benefited from her wisdom through keynotes, seminars and conference breakout sessions. Her Southern charm and sense of humor have made her a sought-after speaker and consultant.

Based in Savannah, Georgia, Lydia is available for national, regional and local speaking and training engagements. She has suitcase; will travel.

Contact her via email at lydia@lydiaramsey.com or call 912-604-0080. Sign up for her free monthly newsletter and visit her website, lydiaramsey.com

The Top Twelve Business Etiquette Tips for Social Media

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Lydia Ramsey

There is no doubt about it—social networking, or social media, is all the buzz. A report by Forrester’s Research indicates that 51% of online Americans have joined a social network. Another 73% are consuming some form of social content on a regular basis. People are connecting with, listening to, following and collaborating with each other online at an amazing rate.

Some people use it for personal reasons. They share their recipes, their photos and their ideas to stay up to date with friends and family. Business people use social networking to build their careers, promote their business and grow their reputations.

The most popular social networking sites are Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Each one of those is uniquely positioned and serves a particular population or purpose. There are other online networking sites, numbering in the thousands.

The purpose of this article is not to suggest which sites you should choose, but to offer you tips on the etiquette of social networking. As with e-mail, cell phones, smart phones and other technological devices or technologically driven communication, we got the technology first, and we have backed into the rules for using it with courtesy and consideration. In many cases we simply learned the rules the hard way, by making mistakes, embarrassing ourselves and offending others.

Currently I have my top twelve business etiquette tips for social media for the polished professional. This list will, no doubt, grow with time.

#1. Fill out your online profiles completely with information about you and your business. Use your real name and your own photo. Your cat may be adorable, but unless you are a veterinarian specializing in the care of felines, don’t get cute.

#2. Use a different profile or account for your personal connections. Business and pleasure do not mix in this medium.

#3. Create a section on your main profile detailing who you are seeking to befriend. Everyone need not apply.

#4. Offer information of value. Don’t talk just about yourself and your company.

#5. Don’t approach strangers and ask them to be friends just so you can try to sell them on your products or services. You will quickly lose credibility and friends.

#6. Pick a screen name that represents you and your company well. Don’t call yourself “Loser1” unless you want to be known by that.

#7. Don’t send out invitations to play games or other timewasters for those using the site.

#8. Don’t put anything on the Internet that you don’t want your future boss, current or potential clients to read.

#9. Check out the people who want to follow you or be your friend. Your mother was right when she said that people will judge you by the company you keep.

#10. If someone does not want to be your friend, accept their decision gracefully.

#11. Never post when you’re overly-tired, jet lagged, intoxicated, angry or upset.

#12. Compose your posts, updates or tweets in a word processing document so you can check grammar and spelling before you send.

The world of online networking is new to most of us, but there is little difference in connecting with people online and offline. The same basic tenets hold true. Trust and authenticity remain high on the list.

Happy Networking!

Photo from Savannah magazine

Based in Savannah, Georgia, Lydia is available for national, regional and local speaking and training engagements. She has suitcase; will travel.

Contact her via email at lydia@lydiaramsey.com or call 912-604-0080. Sign up for her free monthly newsletter and visit her website, lydiaramsey.com.

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The Do’s and Don’ts of LinkedIn Etiquette

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Lydia Ramsey

Of all the current social media choices available to us, it seems that LinkedIn is the one most preferred and used by business professionals. Once again when there is a new arrival on the Internet scene as there was with LinkedIn, officially launched in 2003, it came to us with few instructions.

There was no manual on how to use it and when to use it. You had to search the Internet, talk to your techy friends and dig around on your own. And once again as with our cell phones, smart phones and other technological devices, there was no set of rules for LinkedIn etiquette. They have simply evolved over time.

With its numbers growing by two every second, its professional users need to be aware of the rules of professional conduct for managing their LinkedIn accounts. LinkedIn members use this form of social media to actively look for jobs, read work-related content, perform “professionally-oriented searches,” join professional groups and promote themselves and their products or services. When used correctly, you can attract other business people to you. When LinkedIn etiquette is ignored, you can turn people off.

So what are the do’s and don’ts of etiquette for LinkedIn? To come across as a polished professional on the Internet, here are my suggestions.

Five Do’s for LinkedIn Etiquette

1. Personalize your requests for connections. Avoid sending the default message. Use the person’s name and tell them who you are and why you want to connect.

2. Use a profile picture. No one wants to connect to a faceless silhouette.

3. Keep it professional. If you want to post personal information, use Facebook or another form of social media.

4. Nurture your relationships. Regularly send useful content or individual messages to people in your network. There is no point in having 500+ connections if you don’t engage with them.

5. Respond promptly to messages. Treat your LinkedIn messages the same as email by sending a timely response—the same day if possible.

Five Don’ts for LinkedIn Etiquette

1. Don’t spam your connections. Whatever you send should benefit your connections. This is not a self-serving platform.

2. Don’t post more than once a day. If you “over-post, you will turn people off.

3. Never ask people you don’t know for recommendations. On the other hand, don’t post recommendations for people whom you don’t know.

4. Never send a message to someone saying “I see you viewed my profile.” That’s like calling someone back when they didn’t leave you a voice message.

5. Don’t use it as you would Twitter or Facebook. It is critical to know the etiquette for each network. Your LinkedIn connections are not interested in what you ate for lunch.

The polished professional knows the rules of LinkedIn Etiquette in order to create and maintain an effective network of connections.

Happy Networking!

Lydia

Your copy of my new holiday eBook is waiting for you in The Manners Store or on Amazon in Kindle. It is not too soon to start your holiday planning and brush up on your business etiquette. Right now you should be selelcting your holiday cards and updating your mailing list. This book will guide you through the process and offer tips for addressing the envelopes.Don’t wait to get “Business Etiquette for the Holidays; Building Relationships Amid the Perils of the Season.”

If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you. Please contact me.

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Your LinkedIn Network – How to Invite People to Join You

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Lydia Ramsey

Is it me? Am I the only one who finds the standard invitation to join someone’s LinkedIn network somewhat abrupt and cold? LinkedIn has made it quick and simple to send invitations to anyone and everyone. You just go to your profile, search, find a name and click “Connect.” Off goes a message that reads, “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.” How impersonal is that? Of course you have the option to add a personal message, but very few people do.

While I do have friends who invite me to join them on their network, I frequently receive invitations from people whom I don’t know and have never heard of. Upon checking their profile, I can usually discover that these people have a product or service that they would like to promote. Other times it is impossible to figure out the connection and the reason for the invitation.

It occurs to me that if you want to invite someone to join you, you need to word your invitation carefully and courteously. Here are my thoughts on how to send an invitation and respond to one.

Always, always, always, personalize your message.
If you don’t have a history with these people, explain why you want them to join you.
Perhaps you should remind them of how you met.
Reference an article or post they have written.
Comment on something about their profile.
Mention the mutual benefit of being connected.
In short, take the time to explain your invitation.

Now, how do you respond to invitations from seemingly total strangers?

Be forth coming and acknowledge the invitation.
Ask how you are connected.
If it doesn’t seem to be a good fit, send a courteous message when you decline the invitation. Leave a good impression.

Finally, when someone agrees to join you on LinkedIn, be sure to send a thank you reply.

It is not about how many connections you have. It is about how many meaningful connections you have. It is not a numbers game. It is what you do with the numbers that count.

Photo from Savannah magazine

Based in Savannah, Georgia, Lydia is available for national, regional and local speaking and training engagements. She has suitcase; will travel.

Contact her via email at lydia@lydiaramsey.com or call 912-604-0080. Sign up for her free monthly newsletter and visit her website, lydiaramsey.com.

1 Reply

The Top Twelve Business Etiquette Tips for Social Media

Posted on August 31, 2009 by Lydia Ramsey

There is no doubt about it—social networking, or social media if you prefer, is all the buzz. A report just out by Forrester’s Research indicates that 51% of online Americans have joined a social network. Another 73% are consuming some form of social content on a regular basis. People are connecting with, listening to, following and collaborating with each other online at an amazing rate.

Some people are using it for personal reasons. They are sharing their recipes, their photos and their ideas to stay up to date with their friends and family. Business people are using social networking sites to build their careers, promote their business and grow their reputations.

The most popular social networking sites are Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter. Each one of those sites is uniquely positioned and serves a particular population or purpose. There are other online networking sites, numbering in the thousands, so at this point, they shall remain nameless.

The purpose of this newsletter is not to provide information on which networking sites you should choose and why, but to provide you with tips on the etiquette of social networking. Once again, as with e-mail, cell phones, Blackberries and other technological devices or technologically driven communication, we got the technology up front and we have backed into the rules for using it with courtesy and consideration.

I am starting with a list of twelve tips on the etiquette of social networking for the polished professional. The list will, no doubt, grow with time.

#2. Use a different profile or account for your personal connections. Business and pleasure do not mix in this medium.

#3. Create a section on your main profile detailing who you are seeking to befriend and ask that visitors abide by that information. Everyone need not apply.

#4. Offer information of value. Don’t talk just about yourself and your company.

#5. Don’t approach strangers and ask them to be friends with you just so you can then try to sell them on your products or services. You will quickly lose credibility and your so-called “friends.”

#6. Pick a screen name that represents you and your company well. Don’t call yourself “Loser1” unless you want to be known by that name.

#7. Don’t send out requests for birthdays, invitations to play games or other timewasters for those using the site.

#8. Don’t put anything on the Internet that you don’t want your future boss, current client or potential clients to read.

#9. Check out the people who want to follow you or be your friend. Your mother was right when she said that people will judge you by the company you keep.

#10. If someone does not want to be your friend, accept their decision gracefully. They have the right to make that choice and you have to accept it.

#11. Never post when you’re overly-tired, jet lagged, intoxicated, angry or upset.

#12. Compose your posts, updates or tweets in a word processing document so you can check grammar and spelling before you send them.

Photo from Savannah magazine

Based in Savannah, Georgia, Lydia is available for national, regional and local speaking and training engagements. She has suitcase; will travel.

Contact her via email at lydia@lydiaramsey.com or call 912-604-0080. Sign up for her free monthly newsletter and visit her website, lydiaramsey.com.