With so many ways to communicate, network and receive information these days it’s easy to forget how  to interact with people one on one. In fact, it seems too many people on Twitter have forgotten the purpose. Facebook, too.

I have a limited amount of time for my social media outlets these days; far less probably, because I’ve become detached and disinterested. I’m tired of being bombarded by sales pitches, useless information and Farmtown and Mafia Wars.  Don’t you have an XBOX or a Wii for games? As for sales and marketing – devise a plan first! Know your audience and proper timing; don’t just spam your info out on Twitter or Facebook incessantly. It’s really annoying and probably is going to turn more people away than it’s going to lure in.

My first rule about using ANY form of online social networking (including your BLOGS, people!) is to remain genuine! I cannot stress this enough. Stop trying to be someone you aren’t. People will eventually figure it out; and if you’re lying about who you are, you’ll become untrustworthy. Your online reputation is very important and if you play your cards right it will ultimately lead you to your purpose path and target audience. So take your time and quit trying to rush things. There isn’t a magic wand to lose weight and there’s no magic wand for building your network either. It takes TIME, PATIENCE and COMMON SENSE. Got that?

So before I go off on a tangent about all the things that annoy me about social media these days, I’m going to give you a list of ways to really use social media for the right purpose and tips to remain genuine:

1. There are lots of people out there that promise to help you “get more followers, fast!”. There isn’t any way to do this without looking like a spammer or a bot. People want to follow people, not bots.
2. Connect with others that have similar interests; people that tweet/post about things that are important and helpful, etc. People that also talk about themselves from time to time.
   
3. Be a PERSON, not a bot. Tweet/post about things. Don’t just tweet/post links. While some of those are helpful and should be part of your tweet/post stream, they shouldn’t be the only thing we see from you. Why should I care about what you have to say if I don’t know anything about you?
4. Whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or any other social media site, use your head! Think before you tweet! Don’t tweet about how much “ABC Company/Product” sucks  if you’re trying to get a job at the corporate office. This sounds like common sense, but apparently it isn’t. Never put anything in writing that you may later regret because Google doesn’t do “take backs”.
5. For the love of all that’s holy, don’t bring games to Twitter. I’m not using Twitter to play Mafia Wars and you shouldn’t be either. Twitter is not the place for this. If you must, do it on Facebook – but don’t involve me! If I want to play a game, I’ll fire up the XBOX.
6. Twitter is not an observatory. Engage! Don’t sit back waiting for someone to tweet to you, otherwise you will get bored very quickly. If you’re following enough people with common interests, you’re bound to find tweets that interest you. Reply to the poster and tell them so! Engaging with people is how we connect. Why are you there otherwise, if not to connect?
7. This applies mostly to the Twitter users with gazillions of followers: Engage! Different rule, same principle as #6. Engage with your followers. Reply as much as you can to those who reply to you. Would you ignore them in real life?
   
8. For the love of all that’s holy, part 2: Don’t send automatic Direct Messages asking me to “check out how I made money on the internet!” or “read my blog!”.  The fastest way to turn off an audience and lose followers is to do this. This one is common sense too and often talked about on Twitter – yet it still seems to continue.
   
9. Being genuine doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t sell yourself/services. It means know when/how to do so. Auto DM is not it. Experiment with searches on your social media venue of choice. Look for opportunities to engage where your pitch would be relevant and non-intrusive. No one likes a pushy sales person.
   
10. Social networks are like seedlings. Plant the seeds at the right time, in the right places and with the right people and you can grow a solid and continually giving network of important connections. Neglect it or care for it incorrectly and it will die. (Then you’ll stand there scratching your head saying, “I don’t get it.”)
11. Get it or get out. Why join a social network at all if you aren’t going to learn how to use it? Don’t sign up for Twitter, tweet 2 times about what you’re having for dinner and then give up. Twitter isn’t immediate gratification for your curiosity.
    
12. Remember: Remain genuine, remain true and be you!
    

I’m sure that I’ll have more to add to the list as time goes on. For now, this should be a great starter kit for the “noobs” (and even the not-so-noobs!) on how to remain genuine. As always, I love seeing what my readers have to say.  Anyone else care to add a few? :)