Business Etiquette Tips for the Digital World


As you enter the working world, you’ll find that there is a code of etiquette workers are expected to follow. There are etiquette guidelines for everything from hosting a business lunch to scheduling a meeting. As the way business is conducted has changed, business etiquette rules have shifted too. Now, there are many etiquette guidelines for communicating in our modern, technology-based society. Read on to learn the basics of etiquette in the digital world. 

Using Social Media 

Using social media for business can be tricky, and it’s often hard to find the right balance between personal and professional. It’s up to you to decide if you want to add clients and coworkers as friends on your personal Facebook page. If your client tries to add you on Facebook but you want to keep your page strictly personal, ask if you can add them on LinkedIn instead. 

If you do decide to share your Twitter account or Facebook with clients and coworkers, keep everything you share and post professional. Also, be careful when you’re tagging coworkers in photos – if the photo could be seen as unprofessional, always ask before tagging your colleague. 

Communicating Over Email 

Since most of our day-to-day communication takes place online, it’s important to know the guidelines for email etiquette. In general, try to keep your emails concise, and put a clear call to action at the top of the email. Your busy colleagues and bosses will appreciate not having to read through a lengthy email. When you’re emailing coworkers you need to stay focused on the topic at hand, and make sure the email pertains to everyone in the group. If you need to bring up a topic that only concerns a couple of your coworkers, switch over to a new email chain to avoid cluttering up your colleagues’ inboxes. 

Also, be careful with your tone over email. If you’re not careful, an innocent email that’s phrased the wrong way can come off as standoffish. To avoid this, try phrasing sentences as requests rather than demands, or simply end your email with a “thank you.”

Keep these tips in mind to maintain professionalism and avoid miscommunication in today's technology dominated landscape!





I hope you enjoyed this article about maintaining business etiquette in a digital world.

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Published by Michael J Schiemer
Owner of Bootstrap Business

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