My Top 10 Social Media Networking Pet Peeves

Once in a while I rant on twitter - not because I'm genuinely angry about something but because it's good to vent and share. Here's the full list below - I would love to hear what your pet peeves are.

Business Pet Peeve 1: I send someone an email and they respond to me on Twitter.I don't like it.I just don't.

It's not so much the type of communication as it is the fact that I just like to read responses all in one place.If you're asking me for confirmation of contact details via twitter that is fine but let's keep the conversation consistent and in my view slightly more professional by sending an email or at least a LinkedIn message.

Business Pet Peeve 2: Sending me a broadcast message via WhatsApp. That's what Mailchimp and constant contact are for...

I actually don't mind being added to a contact's email mailing list, I can easily unsubscribe and once in a while some of the information I get sent is actually useful (that does not mean that you all have to add me to mailing lists now). But when I get those broadcast WhatsApp messages related to a business promotion I just cringe. It's just strange and also it feels like you're infringing on my personal space, I use WhatsApp to keep in touch with loved ones, not for business.

Business Pet Peeve 3: Asking me to retweet a message with no please or thank you or even any previous engagement.

I share and RT messages all the time, sometimes I worry that I share too much but there are SO many amazing people out there doing so many amazing things that I am happy to do it. I don't even have to be asked but if you ask me politely you get special credit! But it's the random people who just bombard me with requests and are not even interesting that make me annoyed. Don't ask me to share your boring news please and even if you do be polite about it, get to know me a bit...buy me dinner (that's a joke by the way but if you want to buy me dinner for a retweet I'll take that food).

Business Pet Peeve 4: Only sharing news about yourself or asking me to share news about you but never ONCE paying attention to my business.

I pride myself on paying attention to other people's achievements and celebrating other people's successes. I love it when people who are doing great things just keep getting better and better and better! But it does irk me a bit when some people become so self-absorbed that they don't bother to pay attention to anything I'm doing (or anything that anyone else is doing)...it confuses me, I know it shouldn't but it does.I'm not saying that you have to do as I do, but at least show some kind of humility once in a while, enough to at least ask about what other business people are up to.Is that too much to ask?

Business Pet Peeve 5: Asking me for a discount or a favour or worse asking me to work for free when we've never even met!

That makes no sense to me...I think this is my biggest irritation, 10 years in business and I STILL get surprised when I get these types of requests.

Business Pet Peeve 6: Asking me what I do - it's in my profile and I'm on LinkedIn and I have a website and also there's Google...

I don't even want to comment on this further...it upsets me when people are too lazy to even do a little bit of research.

Business Pet Peeve 7: Sending me a Facebook request when we're already Linkedin connections and WE ARE NOT ACTUALLY REAL LIFE FRIENDS.

I don't like to come across as rude when I have to ignore requests from random people on Facebook. Whilst I enjoy connecting with some of them on some social media platforms I do not feel the need to have them connected to me on EVERYTHING and it just confuses me when they try to befriend me on Facebook. I don't even know how they find me, my security settings are so high.Listen if we meet and we become good pals that's fine but let's make it a rule that unless we meet face to face and get on well we won't be adding each other on Facebook. That's just the way I like it.

Business Pet Peeve 8: Meeting me at a networking event and asking me why I didn't accept your LinkedIn request...

This actually makes me laugh...it's annoying but funny.I mean really?Why do people do this? 

Business Pet Peeve 9: Asking me for (free) business advice, ignoring my advice and asking me the same thing again 2 years later...

I don't mind giving advice, I don't mind if you take my advice and don't use it but I do mind if you don't at least learn a lesson along the way. I just have no patience for people who choose to ignore the lessons that being in business teaches us.Business Pet Peeve 10: Wasting my sweet, precious time.

There are some people who are just vacuums for time!They just interrupt/disrupt those of us who are getting on with actually doing things and most of the time they don't even realise that they're doing it.Well that's my Top 10 for now.It's all in good fun though so if you have committed any of the above but I'm still talking to you it means I like you!

Please do share and tweet me @ronkelawal if you have any thoughts.