D.I.Y.

5 Simple Social Media Etiquette Tips to Live By [Bobby Borg]

OnlineBy Bobby Borg on SocicBids Blog

Etiquette, according to Merriam-Webster, is the conduct or procedure prescribed by authority to be observed in social or official life. In plain language, this means behaving well and simply being more socially aware. In my last article, I introduced email etiquette tips that can improve your response rate, build your fanbase, and even lead to more record sales. Now, let's focus on social media. Here are five simple reminders of how to keep it cool, professional, and non-spammy:

1. Use tags wisely

Don’t tag people in pictures or statuses they have nothing to do with. Unless the person is a rabid fan of yours, and they’ll love you no matter what, doing this tends to piss people off.  

2. Get personal

Address industry folks by their names when sending a message or link to one of your songs, and make sure to include how you know them. Tell them how clicking your link and listening to your song will benefit them. Sending a link with the line, "Yo, check out my song" is unacceptable and will likely get deleted immediately.

3. Avoid public conflict

Don’t let yourself get dragged into an argument by those angry people online who hide behind anonymous usernames. If you notice someone criticizing your posts or using profane language, and these actions have no real benefit to your readers, simply send the person a message with some posting guidelines, set him or her straight in a factual post backed by real data, or delete the post and block that person for good. See ya.

4. Be yourself – literally

Don’t hire people to handle your social media and pretend to be you. Fans are not as stupid as you may think. Be honest instead, and do your own work. If there are five people in a band, each person can be in charge of a different social network and post once a day.

5. Upload a profile photo

Unless you attend parties regularly with a bag over your head, don’t send friend requests if you don’t have a profile picture. That blank, default head on Facebook is totally impersonal. At the very least, use your band logo, for God's sake.

bookBobby Borg is the author of Music Marketing For The DIY Musician: Creating and Executing a Plan of Attack On A Limited Budget (September 2014). Find the book on Hal Leonard's website under "Trade Books" or on Amazon. Signed copies with a special offer are also available at bobbyborg.com.

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9 Comments

  1. Ha! I like this, especially point 4. It always amazes me how many people just plainly pretend to be something there not..Actually it drives me insane..Damn the anger is building just thinking about it *sighs*

  2. ha ha. Thanks for the comments. I agree….number 4 gets me too. Look for more articles by me coming soon. Thanks for the support. Author Bobby Borg: Music Marketing For The DIY Musician.

  3. This is a very remedial and somewhat misleading article. Amazing that this type of crap still gets run.

  4. Thank you Mr Borg for this wonderful article.
    After reading this article i personally felt that these etiquettes are really very important to operate a successful business and gain trust of the fans.
    This article highlights very useful behaviors one should follow.
    I really appreciate your support for artist out there who are trying to reach to the big top
    Thank you

  5. Excellent. I love the post by Ejah Digi. It illustrates the type of scenario discussed in point 4: “Don’t let yourself get dragged into an argument by those angry people online who hide behind anonymous usernames and offer know value at all.” I would have loved to see a link by Elaj Digi to his article of useful tips. Really, please submit.

  6. Awesome stuff man. THANK YOU! Yo. Simple stuff people need reminding bout. These mistakes made every day, so people obviously need reminding. Passin to my crew.

  7. Very interesting points. I’m into social media marketing right now, and I can use this as a reference. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us!

  8. love this article. Ejah Dig is a Freakin loser troll. Please give us ten tips of your own—and don’t be “remedial.” Ya freak!

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