Social Media Etiquette For Content Professionals

By Sharmila Ganapathy

I’m frequently on social media, particularly LinkedIn, and for the past couple of months I have been studying posts written by other writers (mostly independent content professionals) on Facebook, X and LinkedIn.

I have observed that there are two kinds of writers: those who have excellent social media etiquette and those who are sorely lacking in this department.

Often, those who belong to the latter category do not realise that what they’ve been doing on social media is unacceptable at the professional level. Some however, realise but do not care about the consequences of their actions.

I’ve got news for you: once it’s out there, you can’t take it back. And this is exactly what prompted me to write this post.

Let’s start by examining some of the mistakes people make on social media:

1) Ranting about a former or existing client. I have seen this happen more than once on writers’ Facebook walls, as well as in Facebook groups. In groups, the moderators often remove the comments or at the very least edit them, but this still happens occasionally.

What you can do instead: Avoid damaging your own reputation by ranting privately on social media. Instead speak privately with people that you are close to and can trust, if you intention is to warn people about a problem client. The bottomline is that word gets around and you might soon find yourself out of work because of a one-time public rant.

2) Ranting about a former boss or colleague. I see this happen all the time, even by writers who are still employed full-time. It is a big no-no, because it will affect the way future employers perceive you. Like with the previous point, word does get around and no one is immune to being shunned by future employers or clients.

What you can do instead: Avoid using social media to rant about your former employer or colleagues. Private message people on WhatsApp if you must but don’t post on your Facebook wall or on X.

3) Pitching potential clients at first contact. I have personally never experienced this, but I have heard of other more established freelance writers, as well as publications who get pitched to at first contact. Slow down, folks! No one likes being pitched to the instant they are added on Facebook, X, Instagram or LinkedIn. It is presumptuous and too in-your-face (and reeks of desperation).

What you can do instead: Take the time to know your potential client on social media, by liking and commenting on their posts, sharing their content and the like. Take the time to get to know them properly before you pitch to them. Also, craft your pitch carefully once you have caught their attention, then approach them. And don’t be disappointed if you don’t get the response you want immediately. Pitching is all about preparation, timing and a little bit of luck.

I hope this post has helped you learn more about how to use social media purposefully, for your own benefit. For further reading on social media etiquette, I recommend reading Shame Nation by Melissa Schorr and Sue Scheff.