"Etiquette in technology, colloquially referred to as netiquette is a term used to refer to the unofficial code of policies that encourage good behavior on the Internet which is used to regulate respect and polite behavior on social media platforms, online chatting sites, web forums, and other online engagement websites."
Knowing how to follow people, groups or businesses appropriately and to avoid being intrusive or spammy.
Following and unfollowing: Rules and tips for following and unfollowing other users on social media platforms.
Public and private accounts: Understanding the difference between public and private accounts and how to follow etiquette for each type.
Liking, commenting, and sharing: How to properly like, comment, and share content on social media platforms.
Hashtags: Proper usage and etiquette of hashtags to increase engagement and reach on social media.
Direct messaging: Guidelines and best practices for direct messaging other users on social media.
Tagging: When and how to properly tag other users or organizations on social media.
Reposting and crediting: Etiquette for reposting content from other users and giving proper credit.
Timing: Understanding the best times to follow, post, and engage on social media to maximize engagement.
Personal branding: Developing a cohesive and professional brand on social media while still following proper etiquette.
Conflict resolution: How to handle conflicts and negativity on social media in a respectful and professional manner.
Don't over-follow or under-follow: It's important to maintain a balance in your following list. Following too many people can be overwhelming and difficult to keep track of, while following too few can be seen as snobbish or uninterested.
Follow back: If someone follows you, it's courteous to follow them back if you're interested in their content.
Don't auto-follow: Avoid the temptation to automatically follow everyone who follows you. This can make your following list irrelevant and risky, as you may end up following malicious profiles.
Avoid spamming: Don't send out mass messages or generic DMs asking people to follow you. It's essential to make organic connections.
Avoid unprofessional or vulgar usernames: Your username represents you, and a poor username can be a turn-off for potential followers.
Don't overshare: Avoid posting every single detail of your life, as this can be seen as over-sharing and may result in people unfollowing you.
Don't beg for followers: Requesting your friends and family to follow you may be okay, but spamming them repeatedly to do so can be annoying.
Use appropriate hashtags: Make sure to use relevant hashtags that will attract the right audience and help gain more visibility.
Don't unfollow as soon as you get a follow-back: It's essential to maintain proper connections, and unfollowing as soon as you get a follow-back is an unethical practice.
Avoid controversial or offensive posts: Be mindful of the content you post, and avoid anything that can cause offense to your followers.
Don't use a private profile for promotional purposes: Using a private profile for promotional purposes gives off an unprofessional vibe and can make you lose potential followers.
Don't create multiple personal profiles: Maintain one personal profile, and avoid creating multiple profiles for any reason.
Engage with your followers: Interacting with your followers and responding to their comments can help to build a strong connection with your audience.
Don't resort to fake followers: Generating fake followers can cause damage to your reputation and is against social media policies.
Don't steal content: It's essential to give credit where credit is due while sharing content from someone else.
Avoid excessive self-promotion: Posting a lot of promotional content can be seen as spam and cause followers to lose interest.
Respect others' privacy: Avoid posting anything about others without their permission as it can be seen as an invasion of privacy.
Be respectful and avoid offending anyone online: Avoid offending anyone online, and maintain a professional tone.
Don't buy followers or use apps to automate the following process: These practices can promote inauthentic connections, which can be detrimental to your following list.
Stay positive: Remain respectful and positive while interacting with others on social media. It can help make more connections, and also helps to leave a lasting positive impression on others.
"It is a social code that is used in all places where one can interact with other human beings via the Internet, including text messaging, email, online games, Internet forums, chat rooms, and many more."
"The rules of etiquette that apply when communicating over the Internet are different from these applied when communicating in person or by audio (such as telephone) or photographic phone."
"It can be a challenge to communicate on the Internet without misunderstandings mainly because input from facial expressions and body language is absent in cyberspace."
"Several rules, in an attempt to safeguard against these misunderstandings and to discourage unfriendly behavior, are regularly put in place at many websites, and often enforced by moderation by the website's users or administrators."