36 Rules of Social Media

Fast Company asked some of social media’s savviest users about their best practices, then compiled them into this great infographic and I’ll be talking more in depth on many of these over the next few months.

Which are your favorites? (Click graphic to see full size.)

1. If all you do is respond to complaints, that’s all people will send you.
2. Stop and ask. Would an actual person talk that way?
3. Everyone says they don’t want to be marketed to. Really, they just don’t want to be talked down to.
4. The consumer is out for himself, not for you.
5. As monetization attempts go up, consumer experience goes down.
6. Don’t try to be clever, be clever.
7. Social is 24/7, not a one-time stunt.
8. Always write back.
9. Have an ROI. Have an ROI. Have an ROI.
10. People would rather talk to “Comcast Melissa” than “Comcast”.
11. Solve problems for people who talk about you, even if they don’t address you.
12. Not everything will work, and that’s fine.
13. Embrace negative content about your brand.
14. Everyone’s an influencer.
15. If fans distribute your content without your permission, offer to help.
16. It’s okay to drive people to your site instead of Facebook’s.
17. Update your page or delete it.
18. Don’t make people do X, Y, then Z. Stick with X.
19. Last year: Pump out content. This year: Optimize content.
20. Become BFF’s with your Facebook Reps.
21. Social media doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Make traditional media and social work together.
22. Desktop is conquered territory. Mobile is the battlefield.
23. If you don’t see financial results, you wasted your money.
24. People fight for their privacy.
25. The only way to scale word of mouth: paid advertising.
26. Have a crisis plan.
27. Don’t use ads to prop up boring content. Use ads to accelerate successful content.
28. Forget individuals. You’re creating content that encourages groups to form.
29. People don’t want to shop where they socialize.
30. Contests and Sweepstakes are fine, if you want to encourage short relationships.
31. People care what you had for breakfast – if you’re a food brand.
32. Pinterest works.
33. Your fans own your brand.
34. If you’re bored by social media, it’s because you’re trying to get more value than you create.
35. Think past vanity metrics like followers.
36. It’s an organism, not a process.