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Photo by daveyninSocial media tools like Facebook and Twitter can be a great way to connect with awesome people while marketing your own writing, blog or business. If you do it right, you can form strong bonds with others and share your work with a wide audience.
However, if you do it wrong, you’ll alienate people and your reputation will suffer.
Are you guilty of social media douchebaggery? If you’ve done three or more of the following, the answer is “yes.”
Photo by micahb37
Discuss What You Had For Breakfast – Writing about the mundane parts of your day is an annoyance. This rule applies to constant updates on your baby, the hot shower you just had, and the colour of your poop.
Update Under the Influence – Sappy song lyrics and quotes of wisdom often find their way into someone’s Twitter feed or Facebook status update when they’re under the influence. Close the laptop and just back away.
Ignore Anyone Who Attempts Conversation – I’ll never understand why some people follow me on Twitter and then do not reply when I try to connect. Thanks jerks, glad to know I’m just a way to boost your audience.
Think You’re Internet Famous – “If you have to preface the word with ‘Internet’, you’re no celebrity.” There is nothing more obnoxious than a condescending douchebag who doesn’t want to give you the time of day because you’re a newbie and therefore not worthy of attention.
Brag About Your Fitness – If you spend five hours a day at the gym and then come home to update your status about it, you’re probably a douchebag who walks around the gym flexing your muscles more than actually working out.
Photo by Mykl RoventineSelf-Promo All the Time – You know you’re awesome, but keep it to yourself. Sharing your work with your followers is fine, just make sure you share links from other people also. It’s like having good table manners.
Be a Spammer – You’re not going to miss out on anything big if you shut down your social media programs for awhile. Let people miss you.
Share Your Heartbreak – Stop whining to the world, clean up your act, and get back out into the game. This refers to all other types of “over-sharing” as well, i.e. job woes, self-image issues, and your busy life.
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Candice Walsh
Candice is a travel writer and blogger currently stationed in St. John’s, Newfoundland. When she’s not shooting whiskey and hitting on men, she’s eating nachos and dreaming about her next big adventure. Check out her blog, Candice Does the World.
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Hmm, not sure why this isn’t replying underneath Brian’s comment, but just wanted to agree with you wholeheartedly, Brian. There are some people who ONLY update with scripture, and they do it on a daily or every other day basis. I’m down with every once in a while, but when you must quote the Bible to talk about how you mopped the floors, we’re crossing the line here.
I keep them as friends only because I’m sure I annoy some other people with my updates and they haven’t dropped me. Karma
Thanks folks! Glad I’m not alone in this annoyance. Lauren, you know I TOTALLY overlooked the fact my Twitter pic is me in a bikini, usually I’d unfriend someone like that too. Must reconsider this fact.
Guilty of drunk lyrics! Shame.
Me too, so emo.
Awesome, Candice. I love the fact that you have the guts to write an article with “douchebag” in the title.
ICAM on the “over sharers”.
Other social media douchebags:
The people who just want to sell you something.
The people who say inflammatory things just to whip everyone into a tizzy.
People who drop F bombs constantly.
The people who type in ALL CAPS.
The people who copy and paste someone else’s tweet and try to pass it off as their own (why, people? Why?).
The people who take a private fight into a public forum.
I could do this all night.
Internet Famous, love that.
Right so what your telling me is I’m not really famous and that the tweet I sent you about nachos is a no no. Thanks Candice I get the hint
I’m not a big fan of all the travel quotes or the people who only seem to RT everything. For sure RT the links but its nice to know your actually human and do tweet other normal things. Keeping the human personal side is the key for me to follow you.
Love it! I am a twitter newbie but in my short time I have already seen all of these people. Good stuff.
Hate the people who try to sell stuff! Especially realtors. WTF? If I’m going to buy a house, I don’t think I’ll do it via Twitter.
And Chris, totally agree with the Twitter feeds lacking any sort of human personality. Arg.
I am getting really sick of those social media douchebags.
I wrote a little piece on this using real quotes from social media douchebags, you might want to have a peek.
http://juliopeironcely.com/archives/how-to-identify-a-social-media-douchebag.html
Cheers,
Julio
Points Taken.