Manners Are Manners No Matter What The Medium

I often find content for my blog posts while dealing with my two teenage daughters. This week’s entry is about a lesson I have been teaching them since they were little; manners are essential wherever you are and whomever you deal with. I find that everywhere I go and wherever I am on the internet there is almost a complete lack of civility and basic etiquette. I am always reminding my girls that nothing they do or say is private anymore. Every picture they upload, comment on Facebook, Tweet on Twitter, text message and email they type is out there for the whole world to see.

As I tell them this, I am reminded that this is true for adults as well. We forget when we are on the web, all of our clients, potential and existing, along with employers and future employers are able to read all of the content we post, tweet or chat about. I am frequently appalled by the language I read in blogs and e-mails today. And it’s not just language; we just don’t seem to have common courtesy when we engage in the world of social media. I have read responses to blogs that are downright offensive and it isn’t always easy to offend me.

And basic manners seem to have been forgotten as well. I send people tips or ideas around a subject we have talked about. Or I take time out of my schedule to help someone accomplish their goal or objective and frequently, I never hear the word thanks. (and this of course holds true for my daughters as well)

So as a gentle reminder, here is a reminder of 8 out of the many of things our mothers taught us about being kind to others.

1. Don’t Shout ( Don’t use bold text to emphasis your stance. ) Choose the correct words to relate your meaning.
2. Don’t ramble and say something interesting – Give your reader value, not sales messages.
3. Tell the truth – Be authentic and clear in everything you write. Disclose where you got your information.
4. Don’t swear – Profanities and vulgar language only reflects badly on you and does not improve your point.
5. Don’t litter – Don’t spam people with unwanted email, messages or solicitations
6. Turn the other cheek – No matter how rude someone is to you, do not respond similarly. Don’t respond immediately. Take the time to understand where the person is coming from and address their opinion civilly. If they continue, ask them to take the discussion offline either on the phone or face to face.
7. Speak and spell correctly – Make sure that you use proper grammar and spelling. I know that it is tempting to use IM shorthand, but this assumes that the reader understands it and this just isn’t professional.
8. Say Please and especially, Thank you – The beautify thing about IM, email and twitter is they are quick for communication. It is easier than ever to jot a quick thank you note.

Always remember that you are looking to attract your ideal customer with your entries online. You want to build a positive image online. What you say and how you say it really does matter!

Any important rules I forgot?