Many who scoff at the notion that social media tools can lead to business relationships haven't had a chance to explore how the tools work, let alone appreciate that their social nature means that etiquette and good manners matter for success.

Doug Kessler, fellow Content Marketing Institute contributor, got at the heart of social media etiquette when he posed the following question on Quora:

"What are some tips for social media etiquette for businesses? Any dos and don'ts? Across any or all social media -- Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, blog commenting... No tip too small! I'm doing a crowdsourced article and would greatly appreciate your contribution!"

The responses he received on Quora and other social networks [LinkedIn and Focus] led to the following article - Social Media Business Etiquette Tips. A crowdsourced guide for everyone- with 52 tips.

Although I have extracted highlights, I recommend that you read the entire article.

How To Be Social Using Social Media in Business

Social media is about having a conversation with a person.

Be human. Be helpful, personal. Be helpful at all times.

Mind your manners. Don't always be selling. No self-promotion. Every moment is an opportunity for customer service.

Respond. Engage users and build trust. Thoughtfully participate in conversation. Build relationships and trust. Interact. Ask questions. Educate.

Have a sense of humor. Have fun.

Be authentic and interesting.

Have your audience in mind. How can you offer them value? Add to the conversation. Offer feedback.

The benefits of social media for networking can also be threats.

Practical Social Media Business Tips

Keep headlines short ~65 characters.

Offer great content and variety. Offer high quality content. Quality matters over quantity.

Develop a social media strategy. Document it. Plan in advance.

Use Facebook differently than you would Twitter.

Be consistent and regular. Post strategically over time.

Use Twitter to search keywords.

Use Hootsuite or Co-Tweet.

Pay attention to time management.

 

Here is my tip:

It's important to acknowledge and say thank you when someone mentions you, RTs, comments or contributes to the conversation. To get a feel for community on Twitter, I recommend taking part in a Twitter Chat. It makes you realize that although the tools are digital, they enable old-fashioned conversation and relationship building.

What tips do you consider important when you are building relationships? How do you apply them to your social and digital interactions? What are your social etiquette dos and don'ts for your business?