Posted on by Frank - Follow me on Twitter

Networking, status updates, talking to people, etc.  are forms of being social.  The fact of the matter is most people still fail to realize the benefits of interacting with people on the various social networking platforms that are out there.  Not only that, but when they do get involved they don’t seem to understand how to use it effectively.  That’s why I have decided to list what I feel are the 10 important things that anyone can learn from being social on the internet.

1.  Treat online interaction as if it were a face to face meeting.  Most people tend to feel that now they are online that common etiquette isn’t required.  Let me tell you, it very much is.  People want the same courtesy offline as they do online.  You want to make a good impression so treat both situations as the same.

2.  Don’t talk AT people, talk WITH them.  Everyone wants to have a voice and know they are being heard.  When you go to a family gathering, you don’t talk over everyone or try to be the center of attention.  You listen to what others have to say and give them thoughts on their ideas.  They will in turn respond in a similar manner if you treat them as a person.  This should be done when you using a tool like Twitter.  Don’t just tell people everything you have to say, let them have a turn.

3. Tools like Twitter and Facebook aren’t here for you to continuously toot your own horn.  Many people get into this mistake and wonder why nobody is taking an interest to what they are saying.  Maybe it’s because you are missing the entire point to social NETWORKING.  You need to respond to questions from others and ask them questions as well.  You will build a positive community around you and more people will converse with you.

4.  Be YOU.  The moment you try to be someone you aren’t whether that’s online or offline, people will pick up on it and your credibility will be lost.  This is extremely important when you are trying to brand yourself and being viewed as a credible source for others to go to.

5.  If Twitter is your favorite place to be social, then interact with what your followers have to share.  Even if it’s something you don’t understand or don’t find interesting, find out why it is interesting to them.  They will gladly explain and you might learn something new!

6.  Learn the other person’s name.  If you don’t know yet the person you are speaking with, make sure they get your name.  Everyone knows to do this in the “real world,” but I wonder if everyone knows that this holds true online as well.  Anyone I have interacted with online knows my name and I make sure they do because I want to build a relationship with them.  Your name is everything and it’s what builds your reputation.  If people refer to you by your name often, you can get a sense of how they view you as a person.

7.  If you are a company, being social is even more important I believe than for an individual person.  As a company you want to get your name out there and have people buy your product.  Although, nobody is going to care if you don’t take an interest to them.  Most seem to have customer service down pretty well, but when it comes to social networking online, you ALL seem completely lost!  Talk to your customers online, don’t ignore them just because you can’t see them.  They are still a human being and may refer your product to someone else or come back to you if you engage with them on a daily basis.

8.  Surf the internet longer!  I know this sounds crazy and it may not make sense to you, but believe it or not it works.  If you stay on the internet longer, read other blogs, see what people are tweeting…you will have a natural tendency to interact with these people.  Stop thinking that you are only meant to interact with people face to face.  Interaction in today’s day and age is both on and offline like I have been stressing this whole post.

9.  If you consider yourself too shy to introduce yourself to someone face to face and be social in that capacity, then do it online.  It’s not an uncommon thing to do today.  It’s also not weird either as people use to like to say it was.  It’s very common today to meet someone online and then eventually meet them in person at a conference or some other event.  You’ll probably have better luck meeting someone online then in person with the way we all function today.  Those that say it’s an awkward way of meeting someone are living in the past.

10.  Go out there and just DO IT!  The more you question your ability to use social media platforms or talk to people, the less likely you will do it.  Learn and view how others engage online and off and soon you will ease your way into it.  You need to be social in today’s society.  It’s impossible to avoid and you have to do it if you want to make a name for yourself personally and professionally.

Would you say these are the 10 best suggestions for being social on the internet and in person?  Is there anything else you can think of to add on?  If so, please add them in the comments below.  I would like to hear what you would add and interact with you on those ideas as well.

Further reading:

5 Tips For Using Social Media

10 Reasons Businesses Should Participate On Social Networks

Do You Give New Social Networks A Chance?

Possible Problems With Social Networks

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