As direct sellers and small business owners it’s an integral part of our job description to portray ourselves in a positive and personable light. Our business pages and timelines are out there for the world to see and there are definitely things we should and shouldn’t be doing while in the public eye. The following applies to all social platforms: 1. Don’t Be a Spamaholic: No one likes being spammed. No one. Make sure to read group rules before posting or sharing your product posts and use the 80/20 Rule for your own business page and timeline. 80% of the time you should be sharing information that is not related to your business; the other 20% is for you to promote your business. That’s right, even on your business page it’s not all about business. Share funny stories, videos, inspirational posts, etc. to keep your followers interested in sticking around and checking in often. 2. Do Engage with Sincerity: If someone comments asking a question about your product, answer them quickly, don’t leave them waiting around or they’ll find someone else who cares to help them. Be friendly and upbeat! If someone wishes you a Happy Birthday don’t simply like the post, comment with a quick thank you and include their name, it really makes people feel good to be appreciated. Post questions asking them for advice and share pictures of your every day life, invite them to do the same. Think of your fans as your friends and they’ll most likely become one. 3. Don’t Ruffle Feathers: If someone on your newsfeed asks a question about a product that you sell and someone else comments first offering to help them with their link, just move along. Hijacking a post and trying to steal a potential customer is bad sportsmanship and can tarnish your company’s reputation. Also, never speak negatively about the competition or be a drama queen – people will remember you causing trouble and view you as a bad egg. 4. Do Your Research: This one seems simple enough but you’d be surprised how often posts go viral that aren’t even true. You innocently share something and then discover that it was a hoax or a fabricated story. Before you spread the word just double check to make sure it’s legit. You want to maintain your validity as a person who gets her content from the source and shares factual information not phoney baloney. 5. Don’t Be a Party Animal: It’s not a good idea to have pictures of yourself doing a keg stand unless that’s the way you want people to believe you run a business. It’s one thing to have fun but let’s not get carried away. If you have albums on your timeline from years ago, scroll through them to make sure there’s nothing you’d be embarrassed for people to see today. You can always have the visibility set to close friends instead of public. Some things in life are not meant to be shared with everyone so use your discretion. 6. Do Give Props: If you didn’t create the content, then site it from the source. Either tag the original poster or include a link. You don’t want to get flagged for copyright infringement, that’s some scary stuff! 7. Don’t Forget to Spell Check: Using cell phones and tablets can result in some crazy autocorrects but it is important to take the time to skim over your text before clicking that post button. It’s also not a good idea to use all caps unless you want to YELL about something because that’s exactly what it means – and it annoys everyone so use them sparingly. 8. Do Think Before You Post: Now that your life is an open book this one is important. Keep in mind what you share as far as hot topics go – religion, politics, current news, parenting, etc – and treat people as you would want to be treated. Debates can get heated so make sure what you do post you are extremely passionate about and stand by it 100%. Be prepared to potentially lose followers who don’t share similar views. Remember that you are representing your business now, not just yourself. Stay true to who you are but don’t forget that there are a ton of people watching your every move and waiting to see what you post next. No pressure, right? Bonus: Don’t Worry About All This Too Much! We don’t mean to scare you with all these “rules” – just use them as guidelines. So have fun, be safe, and keep those elbows off the table!