Social etiquette. When you go over to someone’s house for dinner, how do you act? Do you walk right in the front door, or do you knock first? Do you barge right in without saying anything, or do you greet the host and thank them for welcoming you into your home?
My point is, there’s certain etiquette that we observe when we’re entering someone’s home. In an online space, your Facebook newsfeed is your home – so much so that Facebook’s “Home” button leads to it. Each “friend” on your newsfeed is a guest in your home that had to be welcomed in and can be asked to leave (or forcibly ejected) at any time. Yet somehow, marketers often miss that point. They’re so focused on broadcasting a message that they become akin to a stranger bursting in the front door shouting about a random topic that’s entirely irrelevant to the family who lives there. This is inappropriate, ineffective, and in real life it would get you arrested. Online, it simply gets you “unliked” or hidden from the newsfeed.
Based on this, how do you get away from being that obnoxious party crasher? A few tips:
- Be an engaging conversationalist. Are you that person at the party who shouts out facts, or are you facilitating conversation?
- Be helpful; don’t ask for help. Many brands currently include specific calls to action – things they want their communities to do for them. Instead of asking and taking, consider giving help and using your presence to solve common problems. It’s a whole lot more polite and may even increase your engagement.
- Listen more than you talk. You know the 70%/30% rule? It applies to businesses posting online as well. Talk 30% of the time, listen 70%. Instead of just scheduling posts and focusing on your internal message, take some time to listen to what your followers are saying and what they’re looking for. The return on that time will be invaluable.