Proper etiquette for social networking

More and more small businesses are jumping on the social media bandwagon.

Adoption of social media by U.S. small businesses has doubled from 12 percent to 24 percent in the past year, according to a report sponsored by Network Solutions and the Center for Excellence in Service at the University of Maryland's Smith School of Business.

While social media can be a great vehicle for identifying and attracting new customers, businesses need to tread carefully as they interact on these sites, particularly when it comes to adhering to some of the more common etiquette standards, say experts.

"There's nothing about the etiquette of social media that's different from the etiquette of a cocktail party," says Paul Gillin, a social media expert and author of "Secrets of Social Media Marketing" (Linden Publishing; $15.95).

While the forum in which you're interacting is different, much of the same general networking etiquette principles apply, he notes.

Be helpful: In networking both on- and offline, the "way you build social capital is by helping other people," explains Gillin. Participate in discussions where you're adding value, post helpful links or retweet/repost something useful from another user in your network, he suggests.

Get over yourself: You can let people know what you do without being shamelessly self-promotional, he notes. Constantly pushing your products or services will only turn people off, says Gillin.

Be professional: Whether you're posting on Facebook or tweeting on Twitter, maintain your professional image. Often the lines between our business and personal lives get blurred on these sites, which is why you may want to create separate user accounts for personal and business use, says Lon Safko, chief executive of Phoenix-based ExtremeDigitalMarketing.com and author of "The Social Media Bible" (Wiley; $29.95).

"I have completely separate accounts and different conversations for business versus personal," he says. You can generally set that up by registering different e-mail addresses on each account.

Personalize: Social media is meant to be social, so don't portray yourself as a nameless, faceless corporation, says Safko. Identify a real person to personify your corporation, he advises, and post a photo so people can put a name with a face.

Be considerate: Don't overstep boundaries. For example, before "tagging" a photo of someone on a social media site, you might consider asking their permission, says Hilary Topper, author of "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Social Media, but Were Afraid to Ask" (iUniverse; $17.95) and president of HJMT Communications, a PR/social media firm in Westbury. Also, be aware of comments you make on their page/site. "Keep in mind, it's public," says Topper, founder of the Social Media Club of Long Island.

Be real: People want to do business with people they like, says Topper. If you come off as stodgy, fake or insincere, people will pick up on that. Be transparent, particularly if you're dealing with a crisis management situation. People appreciate honesty, she says.

Build relationships: Don't just send invites to hundreds of random people just to build your network or grow your followers, says David Pinkowitz, president of DCP Marketing Services, an integrated marketing firm in Melville, who is active on the social networks. "If you have too many people, it's difficult to manage the relationships," says Pinkowitz.

Don't be rude: If someone was talking to you at a networking event, you wouldn't just ignore them. The same goes for these sites, says Pinkowitz. "It's not a relationship if you don't answer when people message you," he notes.