Over the last several weeks,
we have been experimenting and talking with customers/businesses about “Tagging”
with social media sites such as Instagram,
FourSqaure, and Facebook, which allow people or businesses
to share photos with one another while tagging other people or businesses with
you or them. What fun huh? This can be even more fun if you are looking to meet
new people or even looking for or selling new products/services, as people and
companies can tag you in them if you so choose.
Well, let’s think about
that? People and companies can tag you in them if you so choose, as this is
extremely important and if you do not change your settings sooner or later in
these social network spaces, you will get violated and perhaps even pissed off
at your friends, acquaintances, or favorite brands. So, while some social media
sites such as Twitter still allow you to
@username (much like tagging), which you can’t control, if you are using Instagram, FourSqaure,
and Facebook, make sure you make
it a point to set your personal or business accounts to private or change your settings to approve
tags, communicators, and followers first. That way if you are using or with
people or companies that want to display something on one of your social
profiles, you dictate what it is or what it is not “APPROVAL” and/or who, what,
when, or where you have been.
Here are some other
things to remember when using Instagram, FourSqaure,
and Facebook tagging :
1. On FourSqaure
you can now tag location and people by using a person or businesses Twitter namespace. This is NEW, so you may
not have tried it but FourSqaure
will even do an auto complete during your check-in, so if you use this make
sure you are checking in with the right person just like with Facebook (ANOTHER reason to set this to
approval)
2. On Instagram you can use GeoTagging, which uses a version of “Tagging" powered by FourSqaure for location or the #Hashtag for popularity (Public Posts) in the caption field or a #Hashtag in the comment field for photos you already uploaded through Instagram
3. If you want a more target audience (friends, family,
businesses) on Twitter make sure to set
your feed to private that way those people and companies can’t @mention or
@reply directly to you (essentially TAGGING you), which will cut down on direct
messages and @connects
While tagging has been
around for quite some time, with all the different/new social media sites, people
and companies are/will continue to look for ways to communicate with you. “Tagging”
or @username @mention @replies @connect are a couple of those ways. Long story
short and if you use any of these sites, make sure you continue to check your
settings and monitor your pages for tags of people, places, and things
(sometimes you are even incorrectly tagged by accident), that way you can
dictate what you want or do not want to see and/or promote. Also remember that if
you want to promote someone or something to properly tag, @username, or #Hashtag the other
person or business that way they know you are thinking about them.
We sure hope this post
helps some of you keep your social media privacy, while sharing with others
(make sure they are the right ones) things you are doing, places you are at,
and products, and services you love. Now get out there visit some
people/businesses, snap some pictures, connect with others, and enjoy. Otherwise,
and like usual play nice and don’t forget to keep smiling, as it really does
look good on YOU!
David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.
