Everyone has an opinion about social networking and you’ll find a great disparity among people on what you should do, and should not do.

The thing is, you are connecting with real people so why not treat them that way? It just takes a bit of attention and hardly any extra time.

5 Don’ts When Connecting on Social Networks

1. Don’t Send Generic Invitations

Don’t invite someone to connect with you on Facebook or LinkedIn without including a personal note. Maybe you didn’t know that was possible, but now since you do – include one. On Facebook if you don’t know the person, share the reason why you want to connect in your personal message. On LinkedIn, remind the person how you know each other or where you met.

2. Don’t Invite Complete Strangers on LinkedIn

Don’t send an invitation to someone you don’t have some connection with on LinkedIn. There is an option that allows you to send an invitation if you don’t have someone’s e-mail address by saying you worked with them in the past. If you don’t know someone, but have a connection like sharing many groups, be sure to say that in your personal invitation. Many people are open to this, and there are some people who will only connect with people they have actually met in person.

3. Don’t Send Automatic Direct Messages on Twitter

Don’t set up an automatic Direct Message (DM) to be sent to people who follow you on Twitter. Every platform has its own rules and people do not like to get automatic direct messages on Twitter, especially ones that have a call to action with links to things. But even automatic direct messaages that just say, “thanks for connecting” aren’t welcome. Trust me on this one. If you really want to send a direct message to new followers, make it personal and use the person’s name so they know it’s not an automated message.

4. Don’t Forget to Promote Your Social Media Profiles

Don’t forget to actively promote your social network profiles so that people can connect with you. Promote your profiles: on your business card, on your website, in your ezines, in your e-mail signature, etc.

5. Don’t Forget to Thank People for Connecting

Don’t forget to thank people who connect with you. On Facebook and LinkedIn you can send a private message via the platforms. On Facebook you can write thank you on someone’s wall. Or you can reply to the ‘request to connect e-mail’ and say thank you that way. On Twitter you can send a personalized DM to say thanks for the follow.

So why bother, what’s the big deal about making your invitations personal and saying thank you in a meaningful way? Building relationships on any platform takes time and by interacting personally you will be able to develop deeper ties with the people you’re connected with.

Just because social platforms are virtual doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be human in the way you interact with people. People tend to remember personal encounters and forget the anonymous ones. And, if you make it personal, people are more likely to accept your invitations.

With a tiny bit of time and effort you can make connecting with people online a more personal experience. It’s the little things that matter and make a big difference. So start making a difference today by relating to your new connections on social networks in a personal way.

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You can, as long as you include this information with it: Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to create meaningful and profitable businesses. Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: https://www.fireflycoaching.com.

Got an opinion about this? I bet you do, please share it below in the comments section. I respond to every single comment.