The Importance of Looking Cool Online.

I posted this earlier today at the Tribeswell blog. Do you guys agree?

It's so important to follow the online rules of etiquette if you're going to do an effective job of promoting yourself online. The biggest problem with this is that the rules are relatively undefined and they're always morphing to adapt to new online trends.

Because of this I didn't think it would make too much sense to write a '5 tips' or '5 things not to do' post. Instead, I just want to share how I stay on top of current rules of etiquette.

1. Read lots of different blogs and note similarities between what you're doing and what everyone else is doing. What are the similarities? What are the differences? It's really okay to be different if what you're doing, but it's important to know what the current trends and practices are as well. It's fine (even cool) to disrupt the status-quo as long as you know why you're doing it.

2. Be present. It is decidedly uncool to post stuff on your blog, twitter, facebook page, etc. and then to walk away and ignore what happens next. What conversation has your content generated? Who else is having conversations that you should be a part of? How can you take the connections to the next level?

3. Decide on your definition of spam. I know people who spam people all the time. This is just based on my definition of spam. In their minds they are doing nothing wrong. Realize that by forcing your message into other people's in-boxes, twitter feeds, and facebook walls you are damaging your brand. Here are a few absolutes...

• Never add someone to your email blast that doesn't know why they're getting it. I'm not an opt-in hardcorist (that's a cool word). There are times when it's okay to send something to one of your contacts who hasn't made an official opt-in. This would be when the person knows and respects you and when you're confident that adding them to your blast won't jeopardize that respect.
• Never send a message on Twitter, Facebook or any other social network unless it is genuine. If you think that a particular business contact would genuinely enjoy an article you've posted, then it is okay to send it to them. If you have a general message to post on some-one's wall that is relevant and personal, then it's okay to post it. Remember that by allowing you to follow them, your contacts are giving you their consent to engage with them. Don't abuse the privilege.

4. It's never uncool to promote someone else. As long as you're not creepy about it. If there is a particular person who you want to build a business relationship, a great strategy can be to help them promote their stuff by RTing their posts on Twitter, quoting them on your blog (or commenting their posts on their blog), or 'liking' their updates on Facebook. Just remember that it's never cool to look like you're trying too hard.

5. Don't feel the need to criticize others. We all make mistakes. One of the great things about social media is that it gives us a place to disagree in a civilized fashion. It's acceptable (even encouraged) to write posts that disagree with other people. However, I would say it is uncool to criticize people needlessly. Most blogs have some mis-spelled words and incorrect grammar. Is it really worth it to point this out to people? There are probably other people out their who have opinions that are opposite yours or even straight-up wrong. Does it really benefit your personal brand to call people out disrespectfully?

What do you think? Are there any other hard-and-fast rules to looking cool (and not like a spaz) online?