From Jean Aw, NOTCOT, via American Express OPEN FORUM:
If you’re like me, the personal and professional blend together in the social media world. By now, most of us are pretty practiced at living online. But there are still a few finer points that people miss when communicating online.
But before we get into those, don’t forget the super-important real world rules! You’re still interacting with people. Something an old lab professor told me when I asked what I was allowed to do in a certain precarious situation was “anything you’re OK seeing printed in the paper.” Keep this in mind with search and cacheing: nothing is ever really gone. Once you put it out there, odds are it can be easily found, again and again.
1. Offer something of value.
Before you put something out there publicly, ask yourself “Is this interesting? Is it useful?” If you can’t answer yes to at least one of those, reconsider. Whether it’s personal or business, you don’t want to spam and bore people. This doesn’t mean that you have to be brilliant all the time. It’s more about examining your motives. You should be moved to share because you think people will get something out of what you have to say, not because you’re trying to manipulate search results or be the next viral marketing sensation.
