The Rules Of Social Media

I was cleaning out some of my old files and discovered this…
As Captain Barbossa once said, “The code is more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules.”
8 Comments
  • Wags
    Posted at February 9, 2009 9:20pm, 09 February Reply

    I am not convinced that there are any “rules” yet. And I’m also not sure if the early adopters have any right or authority to set the rules.

    Why do we need rules? Particularly when we know that they will be broken, and they can’t be enforced.

    This is all so new, therefore your rule IV has to be the most important one, as a means of testing whether I-III are appropriate! As Captain Barbossa also said, “There’s not been a gatherin’ like this in our lifetime.”

  • Zac Martin
    Posted at February 9, 2009 10:14pm, 09 February Reply

    I think you pretty much summed up what I was trying to say, much harder to do in diagram format.

    Rules stop people from pushing boundaries and exploring new areas. And ultimately, the consumer will decide if something is right or wrong.

  • m a t t b o w e n
    Posted at February 9, 2009 10:33pm, 09 February Reply

    I agree with Wags to an extent. I don’t yet think there is enough success in the area for anyone to truly say they know the ‘rules of success’ per se. From mine, the opportunities for brands are;
    – Listen to your audience
    – Gather intelligence
    – Produce what they need
    – Invite them to experience your offering
    And start the cycle over again. Your thoughts?

  • Zac Martin
    Posted at February 9, 2009 10:36pm, 09 February Reply

    I think that’s pretty much perfect Matt, and I agree models like that are definitely the way to go, especially when it comes to social media response.

  • Katie Harris
    Posted at February 10, 2009 2:11pm, 10 February Reply

    Great post Zac! So timely. It reflects my thoughts and sentiments exactly.

    Especially agree with Wags. Point IV is where it’s at.

    : )

  • nat
    Posted at February 10, 2009 3:39pm, 10 February Reply

    IV Break rules I – III on occasion. Oh you guys are such mavericks! Rule breakers. Rebels. Hardcore. Street. Whats that? A convention? KAPOW! Take that! Pfft…

    Isn’t it a bit cliched (and lame) to be like “break the rules”. If that’s the case then the rules are shit.

    Perhaps the best rule is exceed expectations – something I am seeing being done very rarely.

  • James Duthie
    Posted at February 11, 2009 11:57am, 11 February Reply

    Check out this post for more debate on the applicability of ‘rules’ to social media environments:

    http://www.techipedia.com/2008/social-media-etiquette-handbook/

    It’s more focused on participation from an individual context, as opposed to a corporate context, but the debate within the comments are fascinating.

  • Jamie
    Posted at February 20, 2009 9:05am, 20 February Reply

    I like this. It’s simple. We need more simplicity in social media. It’s become cluttered and difficult to navigate.

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