Welcome to the new era, where you can get a hold of anyone any point in time on social media. Direct messages, comments, and shared stories means communication is at our finger tips – literally. But what about good old fashioned communication? Emails? Phone calls? Face to face pop ins? Though DMs are the new way to communicate I also want to stress that these things – though easy and quick, are not always appropriate. Sometimes they are downright tacky.

If you’re running your small business like a business, make sure to act like a business. With standards and professionalism. Whether it’s applying to become a vendor in a boutique, or even responding to someones Facebook post about a position they are hiring for, respond in the correct way. Do not comment “Interested” on their post with nothing else. Because… What? What are you interested in? Did you do your research at all before saying you were interested in the job? What does the one word “interested” mean? Give me something more than that. Like an email with your resume and cover letter.   That first impression counts, and if you’re doing it through social media… the first impression may not be a good one.

When coming from a business to business perspective we really have to remember that even though these quick points of access are great, they also can come off as extremely unprofessional.  Would you ever apply for a job over a direct message to a large company saying “Yo, are you hiring?”.  I’m praying you’re shaking your head no, but my bigger questions is; so why would you do it to a local business? You think we should know better, but I am seeing it C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-L-Y.

If you’re sending a DM, or comment or snap or whatever, make sure it’s professional and inquisitive.

DO:

DON’T:

Please don’t forget that your business is a biz. So act like one, or you’ll never be taken seriously. This comes to sending messages to larger companies, or small. Everyone should be treated with the same equal amount of respect. Just because they are a smaller company does not mean that they don’t have standards to be communicated with.