If you’re here, it’s because you clicked on a social media link on one of my websites. Welcome! With the growth in social media, I decided it was time to create a social media policy for myself. Fortunately for my laziness, Vicki Brown (@vlb on Twitter) had already pretty much written what I wanted to say, and graciously gave me permission to use major parts of her policy.
How Do I Decide If I’ll Connect With You You?
- I do not automatically follow back on Twitter or Pinterest just because someone follows me.
- If you send me a Friend request on Facebook, we need to have some sort of actual non-Facebook connection. Just being a fellow lampworker/artist/bellydancer isn’t enough.
- I prefer to follow real people. It helps if you have a bio and a URL on your page.
- Before I decide to follow/friend you, I will check your profile to see if I like what I see in terms of content. If I don’t, I’ll ignore the request.
- If you are one of my students, YOU need to initiate the contact, particularly with Facebook.
What does that mean… “If I like what I read?”
- I like reading about what you are doing and what you think.
- I like to connect with people who are interested in the same things I’m interested in: lampworked glass and other arts, cats, technology, social software, books, simplicity. However, I don’t limit myself to following people with only my interests, experiences, or background.
- I connect with people I think I would enjoy talking to in “real life”.
- I connect with people who obviously know how to write and enjoy doing it. Reasonable grammar and spelling are greatly appreciated.
- If your content makes me smile or laugh or want to share with other people, I will most likely follow you.
- If you’re one of my students, I’ll probably follow or accept your Friend request unless you violate one of my “why won’t I follow you” conditions. Likewise, if you’re a friend IRL, I’ll follow you unless you really piss me off (and if you’re a real friend you won’t).
Why won’t I connect with you?
- The majority of your content is self-promotional, scammy, or smutty.
- I’m not interested in arguing politics or religion (rational discussion and humor are okay). I don’t really care what music you’re listening to. I’m not into sports. I don’t bicycle or run. I don’t watch television. If these are your main interests and you talk about them a lot, I probably won’t stay connected with you.
- I avoid disagreeable, carping, rude, nasty people. Rule of thumb – if you’re tiresome, I won’t follow. Well-done snark, on the other hand, is an art.
- You can’t be bothered to use reasonably correct spelling or grammar. Yes, typos happen. But 1337-speak and text-speak are seriously annoying.
- You monopolize my incoming stream.
If I don’t connect with you, it just means your way of using social media doesn’t match mine. It’s not a commentary on you as a person. To quote Buzz Bishop: “…If I think you’re valuable, I’ll follow you – if you think I’m valuable, you’ll follow me. The two are mutually exclusive.”