Yesterday I gave a presentation called "The ABCs of Social Media Ethics and Etiquette." One of the things I especially enjoyed about the presentation was the chance to talk about how social media has broader implications in business beyond the marketing department. Social media is usually discussed in the marketing and technology circles, but rarely in the broader implications for an organization.
Definitions
- Ethics: The definition of ethics is a philosophy of what's good, bad, right, and wrong. In social media, the right ethic is an alignment of the right thinking and perspective of how to use social media and engage people properly. It is possible to have the wrong mindset and still use social media tools. I happen to think you're likely to cut your leg off with that approach though.
- Etiquette: The definition of etiquette is a code of behavior of societal norms. In social media, the right etiquette is based upon acting the right way. Yes, there is a wrong way to use social media. Just ask anyone who's been spammed on Twitter or received a sales pitch on a blog comment.
The ABCs
- A - Authenticity Is Honesty
- B - Being Transparent Works
- C - Conversation Sells
Authenticity Is Honesty (and dishonesty will be found out in time)
- Ethic: We always want to represent ourselves truthfully.
- Etiquette: We will always state who we are, disclose our affiliations, and what our intentions may be.
Being Transparent Works (it builds trust and people hire/buy from those they trust)
- Ethic: We will proactively share information that may be important to our customers.
- Etiquette: We will tell the truth even when it hurts. We will thank our friends and respond to our critics.
Conversation Sells (just not the way you've always sold)
- Ethic: We want to earn attention through valuable conversations and content that people will find valuable.
- Etiquette: We won’t just sell, promote, or advertise.