Want to get going on social media but don’t know what the etiquette is? Let us help!

We’ve got our top 101 Social Media Tips to explain the do’s and don’ts for Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and just generally.

Facebook

1. Abide by Facebook rules and create a business page for your business rather than a personal profile. This means you can have unlimited number of likers plus it'll appear on Google whereas a personal profile would be hidden.
2. Make sure there’s a direct link to your company’s website and ensure it’s easy to find.
3. Through your business page, connect to all your likers by sending 'Updates'. This will appear in their inboxes, under updates.
4. Take advantage of your picture space. You can create a wall logo that’s 200px wide and 600px in length!
5. Once you have 25 likers, set up a simple username so likers can find you easily and quickly.
6. Use the unique tabs- only available on pages- to create a welcome page and hide your wall. This tempts viewers to click like to see your wall.
7. Use the '@' symbol in wall posts, status updates and even comments to tag the person/ page so that you'll appear on their profile/ page. Not only are you interacting with that specific person/ page but their friends/ likers too.
8. Do a shoutout. Tag them in your status to shout about them. They might want to shout about you too.
9. Invite people to your page, that way they’ll more likely to stop by.
10. Write on your likers' walls. But be cautious, you don't want to spam.
11. Like photos, comments, statuses! This is a great way of being active without the long legwork.
12. Use the Facebook tools like events and groups. Ensure that they are public so everyone can see them and can join!
13. If you have promotions and special offers, use a tab and add eye catching graphics and details.
14. Use ‘find friends’ to find other people and pages to build your network. It takes two to tango so to get likers, you have to find pages and like them too!
15. Just because it’s a business page doesn’t mean you have to use business talk. Be friendly or be humorous, just be you.
16. Keep your likers updated with your work, post links, photos or even videos of what you’re working on.
17. Encourage engagement with your likers! Ask questions and for their opinions.
18. If someone likes your page, send them a message or write on their wall to thank them personally. You can do this every now and again to connect to your audience.
19. Keep an eye on your page. Even if you don’t have time to post or shout out, log in to check for spam or unwanted posts.
20. Join groups related to your business, get involved. 

Want more Facebook tips? Check out our interviews and the secrets revealed by successful small businesses on Facebook!

Twitter

1. Keep your username simple and easy to search for.
2. Write a bio so that people can know a little a bit about you. Remember- they want to know a little about you, so keep it short, simple and most importantly interesting.
3. Personalise your twitter page. Use a photo of you and your colleagues for your profile picture rather than the company’s logo, and find a background that reflects your business rather than a twitter background. This makes your twitter memorable and shows that you’re active.
4. Set your tweets to private so people have to be a follower in order to see your tweets. Lure them in.
5. When tweeting, rather than thinking ‘what am I doing?’ how about ‘what made me laugh today?’ and ‘what interested me today’.
6. Retweet! It's a great way to interact with other Twitter-ers.
7. Use the '@' symbol to mention others in your tweets. This way it'll appear on their wall as well as yours.
8. Mention them, and they'll mention you.
9. Use the '#' to highlight keywords and topics in your tweets. So when people search for a topic or keyword, your tweet will appear.
10. Take part in #FF- Follow Friday. Select a follower, or a few followers, and mention them along with #FF. It's a two way street so you might be mentioned too!
11. Share your finds, whether that's videos or photos, tweet about it.
12. Shorten your URLs using bit.ly or tiny.url. This leaves room for others to retweet and you're making use of your 140 characters.
13. Engage in conversations, share your opinions. This will get you noticed.
14. Tweet about your business but don't blow your own horn too much. You are still human so tweet about normal-human stuff too like the weather, movies, and hobbies.
15. Search and see what’s being tweeted about your business. How about setting up Twitterbeep so that you can keep up with certain words and phrases related to your business.
16. Tempt traffic to your website but tweeting questions rather than statements followed by the tiny URL.
17. If you know you won’t have time to Tweet, schedule your tweets so it appears that you’re still active.
18. Try and keep your following and followers numbers balanced. If you’re following 1378 and only have 32 followers, people might think twice about following you.
19. Tweet what you like and as much as you like, only your creativity is your limit. But if you spam, Twitter will know.
20. Invite your friends and colleagues to join Twitter via email, word of mouth, post or pigeon. The more the merrier and start building your network.  

Want more Twitter Tips? Read on here!

Linkedin

1. Keep your profile simple, no one wants a whole autobiography.
2. Try to resist the temptation of making your profile look like a cv. Add passion and personality.
3. Add apps to do this. Try adding powerpoint presentations you’ve presented or your favourite reading lists.
4. Change your Linkedin URL to your name.
5. Include results, achievements and awards- things that make you unique!
6. Linkedin is more about networking people in the work context so you can easily find others in relating businesses and build up your network.
7. Think of a punchy headline to make you memorable and lure 
8. Connect with current colleagues, old colleagues, old classmates, neighbours, friends etc! Then see who they know and see if they can introduce you!
9. And if there’s someone you know who isn’t on Linkedin, invite them to join.
10. Find experts and ask for opinions and ideas. Maybe even start a discussion.
11. Upload a photo onto your profile to make it personal. Keep this photo up to date and professional.  
12. Share your findings with others on your network. You could be a great help to someone.
13. Recommend others.
14. Update your status! Talk about upcoming events, what you’re currently working on, ask questions.
15. Keep your eye on others’ status. Engage and make conversation on interesting statuses.
16. If someone has a question on their status, don’t be afraid to answer! Your opinion will be very much appreciated.
17. Join groups that relate to your career/ business and interact with others.
18. Show leadership skills and create a group of your own.
19. When you invite people to join your network, personalise the invite rather than using the standard template.
20. Keep things professional and don’t post personal things.

General Social Media

1. Be active or at least show activeness.
2. Be friendly!
3. Be human, show your personality, be you.
4. Be interesting and useful.
5. Don’t forget about privacy. Be safe.
6. This doesn’t mean you can’t use your real name.
7. Listen to what others have to say and value their opinions.
8. Remember what’s posted can be seen everywhere.
9. Tell people about your Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin by adding buttons on your website.
10. Include them on your business card. You don’t have to add all your social networks, but maybe one.
11. Social media networks can be casual, but remember you’re still representing a company so keep things professional. Your boss and connecting networkers doesn’t need to know about your Saturday night antics.
12. Have separate accounts if need be. One for work. One for friends.
13. Remember networking takes time. So don’t worry about numbers and followers. Help and connect with the ones you have and let them do the talking for you.
14. Appreciate your likers and followers.
15. So if they contact you, be polite and respond, even if it’s brief.
16. Stop before you post. Spell check, read it over and think before posting.
17. Think of a social media strategy.
18. Know who your target audience is. Who are you trying to reach and why?
19. Watch the time. Social network sites can be addictive. Limit yourself, especially at work.
20. Your key contacts may be those within the same field of business or interest, but also try stepping outside the field too.

Things you MUST NOT do...

1. Link all your social network sites together. People don’t want to see all your tweets on Facebook and all your Facebook statuses on Twitter.
2. No one likes spam.
3. Use the same profile picture for all networking sites. Mix it up and keep things different.
4. Use an old photo for a profile picture. Keep things up to date.
5. Spread rumors.
6. Steal other’s tweets or statuses and claim it as your own.
7. Ignore followers and likers.
8. Respond to hate mail. Just delete it.
9. Stick with one social media site. Have a couple or a few!
10. Blow your own horn too much.
11. Put broken links on your profile.
12. Leave your social networking site. If you don’t want to use it, deactivate it. It looks bad when your last tweet was 3 months ago.
13. Be greedy. Share your findings and thoughts and help others as you’d like them to help you.
14. Expect masses amount of followers as soon as you sign up. You will be disappointed.
15. Update your status every half hour. :“Glad I got home; it’s raining cats and dogs!”- Thanks for the weather update. ~ “Nice weather right?”- Ha-ha funny… ~“So bored sitting indoors because of this rain!”- Okay we get it.
16. Try and sell your products all the time. The main idea of social networking sites is to build relationships and sure, you can tell your likers about upcoming events and what you’re currently working on but you’re not there to sell them your products/ service.
17. Post every headline you’ve just discovered from watching the news. We want news but not literally.
18. Post uninteresting daily jobs of everyday life. In other words “Just had lunch.” “Going to the bathroom”.
19. Like and follow random people that, in no way shape or form, relate to your business. It’s like a Facebook business page for women’s anti-ageing products, liking a Justin Beiber fan page. I know I said to step outside the field but this is miles outside the field.
20. Be overly active. Find the right balance.
21. Let these rules scare you. Social networking is fun and a great way to meet people and build a community. You’ll learn more once you actually join and sign up. These tips and tricks are just to get you started, so you’re half way there.