Social Media Manners

There is a trend that is potentially risky for you and your business and it has everything to do with social media manners.

How important is integrity and respect in the relationship between yourself and the person you do business with? When you invest your money in someone, you should expect consideration for the privacy of your relationship.

Watch Facebook Live Replay – Social Media Manners

I’m part of a LOT of different groups on Facebook and the great things about these groups is that you are able to build relationships and ask questions. This virtual community gives you access to a ton of information and support from all kinds of people all over the world. Having said that, when you are part of a group with thousands of other people, it’s probably not the right spot for you to be trash-talking your clients. The world is a lot smaller than you think, and you don’t know who people in that group might be connected with.

Let’s pretend I have a client who really ticked me off, and so on a bit of a rant I write something inside of a Facebook group about this client and the situation. It just so happens that a member in that group was talking to the client that I posted about, and they had discussed that same situation…

What do you think is going to happen?

After reading what you’ve just written, the member of the group is probably going to take a screen shot of what is posted, and they’re likely going to send it straight to your client.

It’s crucial that you don’t use Facebook as a forum to vent when things go sideways with your clients. It could completely destroy not only your professional reputation but your business’ too. Facebook is a public platform, and it will catch up with you if you choose to share information you don’t want your clients to see.

I host a mastermind group with VIP clients and we meet twice a year. They are in a very small and confidential community where they can have private conversations with each other – and even then they don’t trash-talk their clients.

You should certainly seek advice if you are in need of other opinions – but try to structure your feedback in such a way that you’re not giving specifics and details. Make sure you’re not naming your client in a way that they could be discovered.

On top of that, when you start trash talking your clients – you will be identified as somebody who lacks integrity and lacks respect for the people you do business with.

You’re going to be fighting a losing battle, because nobody is going to want to do business with you. They’ll be afraid that you’re going to go off into some other Facebook group and talk about them too. When someone chooses to do business with you, you should be treating that relationship as sacred.

Always have a high level of professionalism in terms of how you conduct yourself on social media.

Be respectful of the people who choose to invest their money in a business relationship with you. People will give you feedback, and it may not always be good feedback. Take that as an opportunity to learn, instead of being defensive, defiant, or disrespectful.

I know sometimes things go sideways, I know sometimes clients can make you crazy, but ask yourself, “If my client was reading this right now, how would I feel about it?”

Leave me a comment and let me know on a scale of 1 to 10, (1 being not so much, 10 being really important.) How important is respect and integrity to you in terms of the people you do business with?