I often partner with Frank Ramos (who is in my opinion the lawyer with the most powerful lawyer on LinkedIn). I will share his words of wisdom from time to time on the blog, including a post he made today on LinkedIn do’s and don’ts that very much resonated with me.
Frank said, “Do like, share, and comment on others’ posts.
Don’t hijack another’s post to promote your service or product.
Do add to the conversation by making thoughtful comments.
Don’t jump to conclusions or misconstrue a post based on a subjective or narrow view of the post.
Don’t argue, or pick a fight on someone else’s post.
Don’t be surprised if someone deletes your comment, or even blocks you because they feel your comment steps out of bounds. Yes, it is entirely subjective to the member to block someone. That’s his or her prerogative. It was your prerogative to comment on his/her post and possibly upset him/her. It’s his/her prerogative to block you.
What’s my policy? If I have a strong opinion about something, like for example blocking someone, I share it on my post, not someone else’s. My post is not an invitation to argue with other members. I’ve never had a member block or get aggravated with me because I don’t start fights on their posts.
Do you want to argue on social media? That’s what Twitter is for. Even Facebook. Not LinkedIn. If you really feel strongly about a post, DM the person and share your opinions that way, if you must.”
I couldn’t agree more with Frank after having had some negative comments made on my posts. Remember when your mother told you that if you have nothing nice to say you should say nothing at all? That should always be your rule of thumb on social media, especially when it comes to business social media such as LinkedIn. Remember this is your professional brand.