Social Media Etiquette

So social media has just about infiltrated its way into the heart of human life; almost everyone uses social media to some extent; maybe you only use one social media platform and/or you only post to your social media account(s) once every few months. Regardless of how much you are invested in social media, there are certain unwritten rules, or social media etiquettes, that those of us who do use are expected to obey. Whether you are in the world of PR like franchise PR or marketing or some other vocation, on your personal social media accounts, you should be doing your own PR by following social media etiquette.

1. Be careful who you friend/follow. This day and age of social media, we like to be popular on those platforms; the idea of having thousands of "friends" or followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. are very intriguing and exciting. However, the people you friend/follow or let follow you can bite you in return. When people, like potential employers, see you following someone or someone following you who is less than respectful or appropriate, it can look bad on you. 
2. Be careful of what you post. It can be easy and even tempting to post something on social media when we are angry, sad, or intoxicated but these can be less than opportunistic times to post to social media. If you are angry at someone and decide to post it on one of your accounts, then someone else can see it and it can become popular and you can get stuck in a bad situation later; even if you delete the posting but someone shared it already, then there is not much you can do to undo the damage. Poorly planned social media posts have gotten people in trouble many times. 
3. Take a deep breath. This is almost a sub point of the second point because it is more focused on the posting while angry point. If someone posts on social media and the post offends you in some way, take a deep breath and walk away for a few minutes or even longer. Posting something while angry might feel good in the moment but it will not del so good later on when you have calmed down (and especially if there are repercussions from your post). 
4. Watch the photos. Posting photos on social media is half the fun of social media but some photos we take should not go up there. A classic example of photos to watch out for are the ones that were taken while intoxicated. Sure, the times were fun but posting a photo on social media of someone, or even yourself, being drunk or foolish might not be so fun later on. A big thing to consider if you do indeed do this is whether or not to tag someone; you do not know who that person is fiends with or what they are allowed to post so don't post without their consent. 

As someone at a franchise PR agency, I can tell you that social media etiquette is not just for those who take social media seriously, it is for those who don't want to have lame regrets later on from something they could've totally avoided. 

Successful Uses of Social Media in Franchise PR

Social media is all about being out there in the open. Being out there in front of people. So naturally, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and others are great for keeping your franchise public relations efforts in front of people. In addition to getting you noticed by the general public in an easy way, it is a great way to monitor the talk about your company and do any necessary damage control or crisis communications. 

So what are some ways that social media can really make an impact for your franchise PR efforts?

1. Monitor the chatter about your brand. People talk about companies on social media all the time; if you were to do a search for a company on twitter or FB, you would find they name coming up in tweets and posts and not just the ones coming from that particular company. You will be able to find their name and keywords there. So, you can see what people are saying about the brand, their thoughts, and who is a fan. 
2. Sharing the news. When you have something good happen or other news related about your company, social media is there for you to use as a vessel to let people know. Another great reason to spread the good news is for other companies (that you're friends with) and let people know you support other business. It looks really good for your company to show love to other companies. 
3. Post photos of interviews with exciting photos. When you have an interview with someone, take a picture of them with the interviewer and post it on your social media accounts, especially Instagram, as a way to promote the interview so people will watch it or read about it. 
4. Have special news exclusively for social media. Try to create a few special messages for social media when doing an interview or other events; include a sit for social media messaging. Write some tweets or FB posts about the information and just copy it onto your social media accounts. Why do this? It will help spread the news and doing so in an easy way. 
5. Let people know you're a resource. Journalists have resources to turn to for information that they need for stories; with your social media, you can establish yourself as a source for journalists. Check out their conversation about your industry and see what is happening. See when they turn to twitter for a request of information because you can be the first one to respond if you're fast enough. 
6. Keep watch for opportunities. Browse social media for journalist inquiries and insert yourself for your client and get them noticed. 

Social media is not just for fun and for the kiddos; it can be a real asset for a franchise PR agency and help them increase their results for getting clients noticed and their brands.