Social Media Police: Behaving Badly on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and Blogs

You, yes you!

STOP RIGHT THERE!

I am an interweb agent.

I'm here to protect you. Just stay calm and put your keyboard where I can see it.

Don't try to esc. - If I don't help you . . . someone else will. 

Do I have your attention?

Good.

There was a tip that you have been behaving badly on the internet and I need to ask you a few questions . . .


Do you currently or have you ever spammed pages or people with your push marketing message? 


Are you sharing too much information about your friends and family's private lives? What about information about your children? 


Do you post comments on friends walls that really should be made private? Trust me a little Facebook Wall etiquette goes a long way.


How about those unflattering pictures of family/friends that you don't care for? Hhhhm? That's what I thought.


Have you ever checked in at your child's School? Home? Work? How about a friends house with out them knowing about it? . . . . better watch that! It's dangerous out there and there are plenty of thieves that are paying attention to your "look at me" addiction. 


Are you a hashtag hijacker? We have received complaints from area residents that you are flooding their towns hashtag with garbage 24/7 and making any real posts relating to the community virtually inaccessible!


Oh, and even if you only hijack any hashtag once . . . it's still not cool.


Are you harvesting people's email from Linkedin groups and sending out your email newsletter? How about anyone who gives you a business card? Yeah, that's not cool. Better read up on the Can-Spam act before you send out any more of those emails.


Du u tlk lk ths on fb & twttr? For the love of all things Merriam-Webster - stop. Text speak is murdering your brand.

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If you have done any or all of these . . . don't feel bad. You aren't alone. There are plenty of us out here that have made mistakes (myself included) and thankfully many more who help us see the error of our ways and get us on track!

We do this for the betterment of the community and quite frankly everyone is kinda tired of seeing you make an ass out of yourself. Trust me, I've made an ass of myself plenty on my path of learning. Understand that we are here to help.

What was that? I'm sorry I must have mis heard you . . . F*off you say?Your "grass roots" marketing is working just fine? Umm okay buh bye!

For those of  you who appreciate it when someone goes out of their way to help you without trying to sell you something. . . who believe in helping each other and paying it forward. . .   Keep reading!

I will outline common online offenses and give you helpful links that will (hopefully) change your online habits. Sad to say that you are a danger to your friends and followers and more importantly your brand so listen up!

Regardless of whether you end up with a warning or if it's your 1st offense . . . heck, even the repeat offenders out there will end up walking with a sentence of educational links for each infraction.

Facebook :: Profiles are for People - Pages are for Businesses

Warning :: I can understand that this whole technology thing has your head spinning . . . and trust me, I know that everyone is doing everything they can to survive this economy - especially if you own your own business.

Trying to navigate Facebook even as a heavy user is confusing as hell. But no fear! There are friends and family ready to help guide you in the right direction . . . and when all else fails - google it.

Your Sentence ::

A Beginner's Guide To Facebook: Learn The Basics Of Facebook 

Facebook for Business

Facebook 101 Business Guide | Social Media Examiner

1st offender :: I'm going to have to write you a citation. You heard right. This is the second "profile" you have set up for your business instead of a "page".

And after I shared links to facebook that help guide you how to set up a page too.

I sent those links to facebook terms of use and how to create a facebook page for business because I wanted to help.

Too many of businesses have been closing and I would hate to see one more . . but I just can't "friend" a business. It's rewarding your bad behavior and goes against everything I teach others.

Oh, and thanks for the foul language in your message. Was that *really necessary for someone YOU tried to friend twice with a personal profile for your business?  . . .  Just curious if you treat everyone that tries to help you (and not try to sell you anything) that way.

Oh and by the way . . . you (or your social media 'guru') have completely destroyed any desire I had of hiring you to scrub my toilet. :P

Your Sentence ::

Businesses do not make good Facebook friends.: The Social Path 

Your Facebook "Friend Requests": Bad for Business... Annoying to Me!

Repeat offender :: No one "likes" it when your company likes and comments on every post in a 3 county area just so you can 'get in front of' your target market. I don't care how you try to justify it - everyone knows you reek of disrespect and use shady "Spam King" tactics. Stop it.

Oh, and the fake user profile you set up to also promote your company with comments promoting your business as a "satisfied customer" on other business pages . . . slimy. Let me introduce you to Erika so she can bitch slap your ass.

Your Sentence ::

Facebook Fan Pages for business vs. Personal Profiles for individuals

How to Create A Facebook Page

Facebook | Create a Page


Linkedin :: Groups Etiquette

Warning :: No worries if you just joined the group - moderators generally cut you some slack when they know you are the new kid on the block. But it IS your responsibility to know what group you are joining and explore the readily available information on the group profile page. Questions? Just ask the owner of the group or a group manager(s). They are always ready to help.

Your Sentence ::

What is LinkedIn? - LinkedIn Learning Center

Groups - LinkedIn Learning Center

100+ Smart Ways to Use LinkedIn « Linked Intelligence


1st offender :: You KNOW You've Been Bad Don't You?

Yes, yes I hear it all the time . . . "everyone else is doing it so why can't I?" Well, just because someone else pukes their spam message all over the discussion board doesn't mean you should too. Buck up and carefully consider if that self promotional "discussion" or comment is really adding value to the group.

Oh and your buddy there in the back seat. . . yeah, I'm talkin' to you. You know the only time I EVER see you in these parts is when you have something to promote or sell. I don't recall ever seeing you participate in an actual discussion or come to an event and by the way - isn't that an out of state license you have? Yeah, thought so.

Understand the perils of self promotion.

Your Sentence ::


Groups - LinkedIn Learning Center

25 LinkedIn Etiquette Tips to Ponder

LinkedIn Group Etiquette: What are the Rules?

Promoting Your Business Without Spamming LinkedIn Groups

Repeat offender :: When you join groups just to harvest email addresses for your email newsletter, post self promotional discussions ad nauseum or gather your pitchfork and townspeople to post disrespectful comments on a discussion board just because you got called out for your bad behavior in a group . . . well, lets just say YOU are the reason most people think that Linkedin is the Myspace of the business world. Etiquette is more than what fork you use. . . it's being respectful of group moderators and the posting guidelines unique to each Linkedin Group.

Your Sentence ::

How to tell if you're a comments troll - CNN

What constitutes Spam in your opinion | LinkedIn Answers | LinkedIn

How To Fail At Using LinkedIn | A LinkedIn Spam Email Diagnosed 

Linkedin group managers are not online 24/7. They rely on other group members to flag those who are not playing by the group's rules. In order to make the most of Linkedin Groups that are created to truly connect those who have joined - it takes all members (and managers) contributing valuable content, helping enforce the group's rules such as flagging posts that are self promotional or spammy and engaging with those who take the time to start real discussion. 




Blah Blah Blogs :: Blog Vomit vs. Real Interaction

Warning :: Are you just getting your feet wet with blogging? It's kind of tricky getting into the rhythm of posting, promoting and commenting on your own and other blogs.

Best advice is reading those who are doing it well and emulate the things that make them a success . . . like posting on a regular basis, responding to blog comments, and leaving meaningful comments on others blogs.

Your Sentence ::

How to Blog: Blogging Tips for Beginners

Starting Your First Blog? 29 Tips, Tutorials and Resources for New Bloggers

40 Ways to Deliver Killer Blog Content

Geek to Live: Lifehacker's guide to weblog comments

1st offender :: So you think you're clever?

Leaving a blog comment that has absolutely nothing to do with the topic of the blog post but some how leads you to leave a link back to your website . . . yeah. That is just not cool. Clever blog comment spam is still spam. 

Oh and if you never talk to the person via other social sites but decide to leave a self promotional comment on a highly trafficked blog post they have written . . . that is opportunistic and a big no-no.

Your Sentence ::


5 Spam Tactics Good People Use to Kill Business Efforts 
 
4 Easy Things You Can Do to Help Others Fight Spam

Understand The Reasons Why You Should Not Submit Spam Comments To Other Niche Blogs

 

Repeat Offender :: You know who you are . . .  

-you do key word searches and just because I mention any Apple product in my post you decide to post a comment that lets me know I can get a free ipad with a suspect link. 

-you are a troll and post meaningless drivel in hopes of starting an emotional fire so you can sit back and roast your little ego marshmallows. Bravo. 

-you add links to your own site via a comment to artificially boost your search engine rankings . . . real clever.  

Your Sentence ::  

The Bitch Slap: Are You Contributing? | Erika Napoletano is Redhead Writing

Blog Etiquette or Blogtiquette — Tip Junkie


The Trouble with Trolls | Market My Novel

If you have a blog, you understand how important it is to have real people leave engaging comments. This is a great post about The War Against Blog Comment Spam And How To Gain The Upper Hand.

 
Twitter :: In or Out of My Nest  

Dealing with Twitter offenses are quite simple on my tree limb. . . there are no 3 strikes rule here buddy when it comes to spammy behavior. 

Typically the first major offense gets you blocked and reported for spam if I have any question about the safety of my nest. 

You know the ones I'm talking about . . . "hey, if you love FarmVille you should check this out :-) (insert phishing link here)" I don't need to learn how to make 10,000 dollars a month from twitter, nor do I care if I just won a free widget. . . or if you think your company has the best widget with a 'We are giving away a new iPad click here' link. NO Thank you! 

And while we are on the subject . . . sending me an unsolicited @reply to pimp your product/service/brand or a Dumb Auto DM to tell me how be a social media douchebag like you - will bring you front and center to Judge, Jury and Executioner.    

Anything else you can do on twitter pales in comparison to outright twitter spam and trolls . . .  

Twitter Rehab ::

Mashable Twitter Guidebook

Twitter Help Center | The Twitter Rules

Twitter 101 for Business — A Special Guide 

Top 10 Twitter Blunders - MarketingProfessor.com 

No, I Will Not Help Your Business Spam People on Twitter

NOTE :: Now there are plenty of other social networks I have left out. I chose the ones I encounter the most but would *love to hear about your pet peeves on other sites (so when I go there I don't make an ass of myself!)

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I am taking my cue from @redheadwriting today . . . I’m unfiltered and unashamed.

Am I perfect - no.

Do I claim to be - no.

Do I try to help people - yes.

Do I have more to learn - you betcha. 

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Thanks to *everyone who inspired me to write this post.  

Regardless of whether you like what I have written or not, the truth is - we are all learning and growing in the social space. 

For the record - I am not an expert. . . I am always flattered when others refer to me as one but the truth is - I just spend more time reading about my particular areas of interest - from hand made crafts, web design, cooking, to social marketing and am excited to share what I learn! 

I am and will always be a student and will do my best to stay up to date on information that is interesting to me and share something valuable everyday.  

We get better by helping each other when we can, and hopefully adding a little humor to the mix.  Learning the true value of social media will be different for everyone.
 
I am still learning where to add my voice and when to listen.

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Want to plead your case? 

Offer helpful advice or a link to a great article that helped you? 

Want to share a social media pet peeve?  

Leave a comment!

Twitter and the Global Reach of Kindness

Acorn Coffee & Chocolate from @DoorHardwareLux

A few weeks back I received a package from @DoorHardwareLux, a friend that I met thanks to Twitter.

We have been exchanging tweets nearly every morning over a few months and many thousands of miles (I live in North Carolina and she lives in Lithuania.)

 Some how or another the talk of coffee and chocolate came up . . . (shocker, I know) and she was kind enough to send me a batch of homemade acorn coffee and a big bar of her favorite Karuna dark chocolate.

This experience refueled my belief that not everyone using social media wants to sell you something - there are those rare gems like @DoorHardwareLux that offer friendship.

I am truly grateful each day for Twitter and the global reach of kindness.

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Who have you met recently via twitter that has shown you exceptional kindness?

How do you reach out to make a more personal connection globally?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Top 7 Holiday Shopping Etiquette Tips

As the holidays approach and we, the sheep of capitalism, are busy buying those perfect widgets for our list of friends and family they just have to have. . . let us not forget simple holiday shopping Etiquette.

Here are my top 7 holiday shopping etiquette tips. . . 

1. Have a plan. Make a list of places you need to visit and allow your self plenty of time to park and wait in line for checkout. Shopping while in a hurry will only leave your temper and patience running on fumes.

2. Be prepared to pay.  While you are standing in line go ahead and have your preferred method of payment ready and then it's your turn at bat be sure to have any coupons, gift cards or price matching sales sheets ready.

3. Help the cashier bag. If you are standing around doing nothing but waiting for the cashier to ring up and bag your loot . . . offer to bag if the store is short staffed. This will save you and everyone else in line time.

4. Pick up items that have fallen to the floor. Yes I know that you didn't put it there, but it's the right thing to do. Don't leave the item that you happen upon in the store on the floor for someone else to run over or move out of the way. You know that saying lead by example? Well boy howdy is this the way!

5. Let someone go ahead of you.  If you have a cart full of items and the person behind you has only one or two items . . . let them skip ahead of you. You will make their day.

6. Be patient. Understand that many people are in your position and doing their best to get everything done, stay on schedule and in budget and keep their cool.

7. Smile. Simple right? Not always. . . but it sure does help deter frazzled exchanges by those who are feeling overwhelmed. Your smile and a genuine attitude of gratitude is your best defense against the Bah Humbuggers out there.

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I was inspired to write this post because of an encounter my husband and I witnessed.  Recently my husband and I were at a store where the three cashier lines open had at least 6-10 people in each. As a new cashier was opening a fourth, she made eye contact with a couple in their 50's (Couple A) and motioned them over to her lane - as soon as she removed a display that was blocking the lane another older woman and her husband (Couple B) pushed by Couple A as they simply stood in shock. The wife of Couple B literally used her overflowing cart as a battering ram to make it to the cashier first.

The husband of Couple A, not wanting to risk profanity in public, calmly walked past us to wait for his wife on the other side of anger. We shared our disbelief and shock and he woefully said, "THIS is why I tell my wife I'd rather stay at home."

Thankfully the cashier motioned the wife of Couple A (who had only one item) past the rude duo and sent her on their way with a smile and a Happy Holidays.

This 'cutting in line' exchange we witnessed was a shock. The offending couple was older and you would think would know better . . . but sadly they proved that the "me first" mentality that many attribute to a younger generation had to be learned from somewhere.

It's easy to only think of ourselves when we have a finite amount of time and an endless list of things to do and places to be . . .  but I encourage you to remember what you are teaching your children and others around you about your character.

Slow down. Be kind. Smile and do your best not to lose your temper when others behave badly.

Here is another great list of Seven Secrets of Holiday Shopping Etiquette.

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How have you kept your cool in the face of rude behavior while shopping?



What ways do you deal with rude behavior in public while shopping during the holidays?

Why Text-Speak is Bad for Your Brand

Text-speak (txt-speak, txtese, chatspeak, txt, txtspk, txtk, txto, texting language, txt lingo, SMSish, or txt talk) . . . regardless of what you call it, we all have used it.

Text-Speak has become common place in our day to day online and mobile lexicon. Social networks that limit the amount of characters we can use have been the excuse of many to justify this trend and to others, well, we've been using text speak since the pager. On a personal level - many people still think that txt speek sux, so you can imagine what they may think about your brand when you use it to communicate.

When it comes to social media and building your brand, the question is. . . should we take the easy way out and cram as much information as possible into each update? 2 b or nt 2 b: d gr8 txt spk db8.

Now, I will freely admit that I use text-speak and I try to do so sparingly. I'll throw out an LOL and a THX now and then. . . but over all, I like the challenge of fitting my thoughts into a confined space. Having a limited character count helps me focus on delivering my message and challenges me to take out unnecessary words without making my followers/friends take time to look up text message shorthand before responding.

At a luncheon last year with a group of very bright design students, the topic of text-speak came up and the majority agreed that when they had to work to decipher a tweet or status update . . . they tuned out the message and generally avoided engaging with the person using Textese because they had to work harder to understand what was being said.

This insight struck me like a bell. Why on earth would I make it more difficult for my followers/fans/clients to understand my message? Seems counter intuitive to what social media represents.

Learn how to write the perfect tweet and fly with Twitter, discover  32 Ways to Use Facebook for Business and Google+ your business.

If you are building your brand online using social media, remember that you shouldn't cut corners when it comes to your communication. Cultivating a consistent tone of voice across media is vital to long term success.

If you are working on building your brand - drop the gibberish and learn these 9 Keys to Building a Stand-Out Brand Identity.

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Do you use text speak?

Do you engage with brands who use excessive text speak to communicate online?

DIY : Aged Paper Frames

Project Library is coming along nicely. It's one part therapy and one part I'm addicted to DIY projects. . . seriously - ask my husband.

I'm a thrift store junkie and love discovering fun items to hack into something awesome. Take these mismatched wooden frames for example. . . found these last year at a local dollar store and bought 12 of them. (mirrors included). I really didn't know what I was going to do with them at the time.

I recently made a book purse and saved the "guts" of the book (purchased for $2.00 at Goodwill) then it all came together. . .



:: Materials :: 

• wooden frames 
• Elmers Glue All 
• warm water
• plastic container with lid
• old tooth brush
• small paint brush
• cookie sheet or metal tray
• old book pages
• coffee
• large baking dish
• clear matter or gloss spray paint

:: Directions for Aging Paper :: 

• in large baking dish pour 1 cup coffee (warm)

• take pages from old book and soak until wet then place on cookie sheet

• "bake" paper at 350 for 2 minutes or until no longer damp and dry over night (DIY on how to age paper here)

:: Directions for Application to Frames ::

• Mix equal parts Elmers glue and warm water in plastic container and stir throughly

• Depending on size of frame fold aged book pages in half then half again to form 4 strips approx 1.5" wide

• With small paint brush "paint" glue on aged paper on a metal cookie sheet (trust me this will save you) until limp

• Prime frame with a brush of glue and carefully place paper on frame - taking time to wrap paper around edges (this will be sticky and be sure to wash your hands frequently to avoid glue debris that can stick to paper) use the toothbrush to smooth out any air bubbles.

• "Bake" frame at 350* for 2 minutes (carefully watch this process, you don't want to burn your house down) - if the frame is too big for the oven you can use a hair dryer. 

• Dry frames over night then coat with a clear matte or gloss spray paint.

Voila! You now have an aged frame that didn't break the bank!

For those looking to make a bigger statement you can also "paper" a wall and age it with tinted Briwax for added interest, or cover canvases then stencil your initials or your favorite quote . . .  like this one ::

The purpose - where I start - is the idea of use. It is not recycling, it's reuse.  - Issey Miyake

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What fun things have you done with aged paper?

Project Library : DIY Inspiration from Pinterest

As the holidays approach I am faced with a long list of "TO DO" before the family and friend visits begin. Each evening I work feverishly to finish handmade gifts and started painting the trim and book cases in the library this weekend. I was still not happy with the "feel" that the big black and oh so comfortable settee offered the room and wanted the room to reflect our eclectic taste. 

From January's WINTER TIME Jeanne d' Arc Living

So I went to Pinterest to find some DIY Design inspiration for the most fought over room in the whole house. . . the library.

before

If you don't know already - we read, a lot. (I have even been designing the floor to ceiling book shelves that will be my spring 2012 project.)

This room is not terribly big - so I wanted a look and feel that was restful, welcoming and offered a reprieve from the tech heavy life style we lead.

after

Thankfully I found this pin that took me to a post from Urban Farmhouse that was *exactly the inspiration I needed to turn my outdated settee and uninspired reading space into a farm fresh place for my husband and I to read and relax!

I used a canvas drop cloth ($10.00 from Big Lots) for this DIY slip cover.



Now, this project is far from complete. . . the wall treatment (grey wall) will ideally look like this when I'm finished. The trim and the book shelves will get my attention every evening until my books are off the floor.

I am happy to say that I am recycling the paper from the Book Purse gift I was inspired to make last week to cover some frames for a fun focal point . . . so stay tuned for more from #projectlibrary.

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What projects have you started thanks to a pinterest inspiration?

These are my Top 10 favorite boards on Pinterest - what are yours?

My Top 10 Inspiration Boards from Pinterest

Many of you who know me well - know I am a DIY nut. I LOVE to dig, build, create, crochet, sew, paint, cook, share and that I have a soft spot for vintage style.

Since discovering Pinterest thanks to a client  - I am in photo inspiration heaven.

Pinterest to me is a magical, visually rich world where all the crafty cool people live online. It is such a wonderful community of sharing and inspiration that leaks all over the floor and fills any room with potential. 


I wanted to share my TOP 10 inspiration boards. . . be sure to check back as I will continue to add more fab finds! Check out the rest of my boards and if you are the crafty creative type . . . for heavens sake


1 - DIY Lighting

2 - Food Porn 

3 - Living Vintage in a Tech World 

4 - DIY Furniture 

5 - DIY Design

6 - DIY Organize

7 - Casual Style

8 - DIY Gifts 

9 -  DIY Outdoors

10 - DIY Cleaning 

What are a few of your favorite boards on Pinterest?