The Biggest Cocktail Party In The World...

Someone once described social media as ‘the biggest cocktail party in the world’. For me, this description tells us less about what it is and more how we should all behave once we’re there. Having seen the subject of etiquette spring up time and time again recently online, I thought it was maybe time for a quick summary. Follow these dos and don’ts and you will be the belle of the ball. Ignore the etiquette and no one will talk to you. Here are the 6 golden rules…

1. Be gracious to your host. You may not have been formally invited, but if someone goes to the trouble of organizing an event, whether that means writing a blog or starting a conversation on a LinkedIn group etc, it’s always nice to acknowledge them for it.

2. Dress for the occasion. Use an avatar that shows your personality. Fill out your profile. Be clear with your identity, so people can see what you have to offer. Masked balls don’t really work online.

3. Make good conversation. Be witty, be entertaining, be informative, be friendly. Then people will talk back to you. But don’t talk too much, especially if you have nothing of value to add. As the saying goes, “it’s better to stay quiet and look stupid than open your mouth and confirm suspicions”.

4. Sell yourself, not your product. You can clear a room pretty quickly if your opening line is “Do you have adequate life assurance?” It’s always possible (if unlikely) that the other ‘party guests’ are interested in life assurance, but the only way you will know for sure is if you chat to them first. And of course they will be happier doing business with someone they consider a friend first, salesman second.

5. Make introductions. Bill, meet Steve. Steve knows a lot about widget manufacturing. Bill’s a freelance widget designer with great new ideas. You guys should talk. Twitter RTs, #followfriday, LinkedIn recommendations, and many others are great for this.

6. Enjoy the buffet, but don’t steal the cutlery. At the social media cocktail party, there is a feast of information and resources provided free of charge. People do it because it is a social event and that’s what nice, sociable people do for each other. But while you can help yourself, do so within the rules and always give people credit by linking back to them. Otherwise, you may as well be sneaking out of the door with the family silver in your pocket.

People have these parties - whether in real life or online - because people like being with people. Social media was created because people wanted to hear what other people had to say - because people wanted to make new friends and share information in a friendly, supportive, mutually beneficial way. So remember the rules - and have a wonderful evening.