Social Media Etiquette for Dance Studios – Part 1

Day 76 in our 90-Day Social Media Success Challenge for Dance Studios…

Social media is a wonderful way to connect with people you’ve never met before, and develop deeper connections with those whom you may already know. But there is a method to the madness. There are things that some people do when connecting with people in social media, that they would never do when meeting someone in person, and the reality is, the same rules apply. Today, I will share with you one aspect of social media etiquette that you may not be aware of, but is very important. This is a four-part series, and today’s post is part one.

Social Media Etiquette Rule #1

Do not send friend requests to strangers without a personalized message or introduction.

Last week, I attended the Dance Teacher Summit in New York City, and had a wonderful time meeting some of my social media friends, whom I’d never met in person. It was absolutely wonderful. I also had the opportunity to meet some new people in the dance industry, and make some great new friends, and business connections.

Now imagine if I’m at the Dance Teacher Summit, and I start walking around, and handing out my business cards to strangers, without introducing myself, and letting people know who I am, and why I’d like to connect with them. What do you think their reaction would be? Not a good one, I assume.

Well, this is essentially what you’re doing when you send a friend request, either on Facebook or Linkedin, to someone who you don’t know, and you don’t add a personalized message to that request. On Facebook, you don’t have to add a message, but they do give you the option, so you should take advantage of that. On Linkedin, they have a generic message that comes up automatically. However, you can easily erase it and personalize it, when sending a friend request. I highly recommend this.

I’ve found that, at this point, when so many of us are connecting with hundreds or even thousands of people via social media, it’s always good, and also respectful, to maintain some level of social media etiquette, and common courtesy. I’ve said this many times before, and I’ll say it again. Treat people you meet or want to connect with through social media, the same way you would if you met them in person. Don’t be too informal, and don’t get too familiar too fast. You’ve heard the saying “familiarity breeds contempt”. Well, this also applies to social media.

Here’s an example of a good personalized friend request message:

Hi,

I’m Ashani Mfuko. I am a professional dancer, dance instructor, and entrepreneur. I saw your blog post/website/tweet about how to overcome dance injuries, and I thought it was very interesting. I’d love to connect with you, and learn more about you and your business on Facebook/Linkedin.

This is just an example. But the point is, it should have your name, who you are, why you want to connect with them, and if you have read their blog, or seen their website, or something of that nature, feel free to include that as well.

So, the next time you’re sending someone that you don’t already know, a friend request on Facebook or Linkedin, be sure to add a personalized message, and start building these new social media relationships the right way. The first impression, is a lasting impression.