Would you walk into a pub full of people you don’t know, sit down at a crowded table and blurt out, “Buy my stuff!  I’m brilliant and I’ll do you a good deal!  Call me! Email me! Buy my stuff!”

No?  So why then would you go into a LinkedIn group and start spamming it with your sales and marketing bumpf?  Why would you go to someone’s blog and spam with comments with links to your own site and Sell Sell Sell! messages? Or why would you auto reply to new Twitter followers with “Buy Me! and Get Rich Quick! plugs?

It’s just rude right?

I find the pub analogy to be very helpful in my work with helping organisations to get to grips with social media.  Just remember, if you wouldn’t behave like that at your local pub or at your church social, don’t do it online, either personally or on behalf of your organisation.

Social networks are just that, social.  And most social conventions of normal human interaction apply.  Get to know people.  Have a conversation.  Build a relationship.

It sounds trite, but it’s true: ‘Keep it real’ and business will follow.

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