Best of the 36 Rules of Social Media

Social media has its own set of rules, just like anything else. When I was browsing some social media content on Pinterest last week, I came across an awesome graphic about the 36 Rules of Social Media. While I'm sure there are definitely more than 36 rules, this is a good selection of some of the best.

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I certainly can't touch on all 36 of these rules, but I would like to address which rules I think are most important. So here are my "favorites," the best of these 36 rules.

#2: Stop and ask: would an actual person talk that way? It's so important to write in a voice and language that sounds natural to your readers. If you sound too academic or use too much jargon, then they're likely to turn away. Have a conversation with your audience, not a lecture.

#8: Always write back. Always. It shows your readers that you care. Continuing the conversation with them is the way to keep them loyal. And if there's an issue with something, addressing it shows transparency and willingness to fix said issue.

#12: Not everything will work. You'll go through some trial-and-error, and that's okay. It doesn't always happen overnight, either. It will take time to find the right combination or balance. But once you do, rock it!

#19: Optimize [your] content. Making it the best it can be will engage your audience, help your SEO and even attract new readers.

#22: Mobile is the battlefield. It really is a whole different ball game. People interact with mobile content differently than they interact with desktop content. Everyone is competing for interaction in the mobile space.

#32: Pinterest works. The visual aspect can help make posts and content visually appealing and easily sharable. The curation aspect allows users to collect and organize their favorite content. And just seeing what your friends like and share is interesting, too.

#34: If you're bored by social media, it's because you're trying to get more value than you create. Focus on creating awesome content, and the rest will (usually) take care of itself.

And lastly...

#35: Think past vanity metrics [like followers]. It's not always an accurate number! Just because you have 300 public followers doesn't mean only those 300 people read and follow your content. There are so many more analytics and metrics that are more telling than follower count.


What are your best social media rules? What would you add to this list?