Since I was a little girl, I have had an appetite for proper etiquette. My time on the board of directors for the Miss Rodeo Canada organization allowed me to refine my dining etiquette; it also gave me the occasion to dive into online etiquette, researching do’s and don’ts.
Below are a few of my findings that equestrians and the businesses that service them may find helpful.
Social media is the modern version of having conversations with our followers. Friends, fans and family all make up the bulk of who our followers are.
A real-life conversation while standing in the barn’s aisle should be respectful, helpful, engaging and above all, authentic. So should your interactions on all social media platforms.
I have compiled a few etiquette points to be aware of when putting up posts, commenting, liking or sending a private message or email.
- It’s not always a personal reflection of what someone thinks of you. It is important to remember that not every interaction on social media is a personal opinion of how someone feels about you. Sometimes people can miss a notification, request or are busy and aren’t online much.
- If you post it, people will see it. Social media has become such a familiar space to most of us that we feel that we can be ourselves and say what we may normally only say to our closest friend. It is important to remember that saying something off the cuff may be best said only in your head. Deleting comments or posts may not solve the problem. Screenshots of conversations pop up in feeds daily. If you don’t want something coming back to you in a negative way, don’t say it online or post photos of it. As well as watching what you say or post, spelling, grammatical accuracy, and making sure what you say is factual are equally important.
- Do unto others. If being credited for something you write or post is important to you, be sure that you have the same consideration for the content you post or share. Treating others how you would want to be treated is something you should give your utmost attention to.
- Expecting something in return. Constant plugs for follows, likes, friending, etc., are unauthentic. Follow, friend, like or pin something because you really want to, not because you expect something in return.
- Personal or business. Are you paying attention to those tags, accounts and contact me messages by using the proper accounts? A handle related to a personal or business name makes a difference. It is not okay to contact someone on their obviously personal page if they have set boundaries by having current business pages. Make sure that the rep for your favourite brand receives your pitch on the proper stream, and the response you are awaiting leaves ample time for a busy person actually to respond. Seeing what is going on at the other end of the message that has alerted you it has been read does not mean that the person seeing it can respond at that moment in time.
- Crossing the content line. Be aware of what you are sharing. If your content is completely based on photographing equine dentistry and suddenly post images of a snake infestation you witnessed, you may lose some faithful followers. Keeping certain aspects of your online life personal or on separate social media streams is vital.
- The overshare. I think we have all been excited about something at some point in time and gone for the social media dump. There is nothing wrong with the occasional over-share, giving your readers a warning that it is coming; however, continuously overloading your followers’ feeds may be why your following seems to be losing steam.
- What is your intended tone? Keep it real and try to keep it balanced if you can. We can’t be happy all the time, but how much you share when you are unhappy, proud of an accomplishment, or heartbroken may come across wrong to your readers. No one likes to listen to someone who is always seeming to be bragging, whining or venting. Also, consider that people can’t always tell what your tone is online. Sarcasm is the hardest to read when written, be aware of your tone.
- Leave the private investigating to someone else. Calling someone out online makes you seem rude. Talk to that person privately or just let it go. Readers really don’t want to hear most people’s dirty laundry.
