This month we are discussing social media etiquette, a topic you’ll want to be familiar with if you plan to engage across your social networks. We’ve shared how everything you need to know about social media etiquette you learned in preschool, the importance of tact and diplomacy along with why a simple please and thank you go quite a long way. Now, let’s think about our social circles and how we handle them.

Social Circles

Social circles are the hot topic now that Google+ has made its debut but they’ve always been an area of contention for many. Often, social media circles can be a bit like the cliques you remember in high school. Back then it was the cool kids, the geeks, the drama club, etc. In social media it’s the A-List and the influencers. If your social circle online is a large one, there is a good possibility there are people in it that you don’t know as well as others, some perhaps not at all. Yet, you are connected to these people through a follow or friend request. Who are they? What was your motivation for connecting with them? Were you merely reciprocating the follow or were you genuinely interested in getting to know that person and what they had to share with you?

Geoff Livingston has shared his thoughts on the topic in his post about the A-List conversation and Chris Brogan recently discussed reciprocal behavior in social networks and shared some of the responses he received when he asked people in his inner circle what their take was on it – both are an interesting read. As social media shifts gears from being in the new media category to being more mainstream and accepted, your social circles will grow and how you choose to handle them will be as personal a decision as who you have in them.

Don’t Be Exclusive, Be Inclusive

Everybody wants to feel included. But, the truth is, many of us jump on Twitter, Facebook or our social network of choice and just interact with that select group of friends with whom we feel the most connected. It’s natural and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, consider being more inclusive rather than exclusive. Make a point to review your friends/follower lists frequently. Set some time aside each week to manage your following/follower ratio on social sites like Twitter. It’s ok to step outside your comfort zone and broaden your horizons when it comes to connecting. Each person that took the time to connect with you was interested in you for some reason. Consider investing in that relationship, everyone has something to offer and not everyone you connect with has to be like-minded. Remember, diversity breeds inspiration.

Be sure you are reaching out to people you haven’t connected with yet. One way you can do this is to regularly invite new followers/friends to reach out to you. Make it easy for them by sharing the best ways they can connect with you. You can build that information into your bio or profile across your social networks so new friends and followers will be able to reach out to you easily. Of course, don’t forget to reach out to those whom you haven’t had a chance to communicate with for a while. When you do, you will make your new followers as well as your old friends, feel welcome and valued – and everyone likes that!

Help Connect

Connecting people together is another great way to be inclusive. Introduce like-minded individuals and help others build their networks both online and off whenever you can. An example of how you can do this online is by using email to connect two or more people together. Try leading in with something they have in common as a starting point for discussion. For example, “Bob, I’d like you to meet Joan. You both work in the nonprofit sector and have an interest in using social media for causes. I think the two of you will have plenty of ideas to share with each other.”  Naturally, you can do this directly on social networks like Hashable, Twitter and Facebook as well.

Just remember, if you are going to use email for introductions, be sure that you have permission to share the email addresses of the people you are connecting. These days, sharing an email address is like giving out a telephone number. Check to ensure both parties are on board before you share or you may find yourself committing a social media faux pas.

What steps to you take to make sure that your friend and followers feel included in your conversations?  What’s your take on reciprocal behavior in social networks? Did this article strike a chord or do you have a completely different point of view? Your thoughts and opinions on this topic are welcomed and we look forward to reading them in the comments below!

Tags: Chris Brogan, Facebook, Geoff Livingston, google, Hashable, intermediate, Social Circles, social media etiquette, Social Networks, twitter, White House Twitter Town Hall