My pick of the social media infographics this week is the visualisation by Social Metrics Pro of 21 rules for effective social media marketing strategies.

Clear and easy to understand the infographic contains some useful advice for creating and maintaining a successful social media campaign. To summarise the 21 recommended rules:

1. No shortcut
2. Contribute
3. Position yourself to be an expert
4. Meaningful conversation
5. Activity doesn’t mean productivity
6. More quality, less quantity
7. Avoid spamming
8. Keep it real
9. Conversation is a two way street
10. Connection doesn’t imply permission
11. Access doesn’t equal entitlement
12. Adaptability is essential
13. Accomplishment
14. Engagement and enrichment
15. Use images and multimedia
16. Always follow up with connections
17. Mind your manners
18. Patience is crucial
19. Don’t be an obsessive joiner
20. Better to be a blogger
21. Have fun!

They’ve left the best to last with the unwritten rule of social media- to have fun. As they say; “If you’re not enjoying yourself, you’re not doing it right’.

I’ve often heard of sales people being told to smile when marketing by phone. Even though the recipient can’t see the sales person, the smile comes through in the pitch and tone of the voice. Same can be said for social media communications. You can always tell if someone is bored or not enjoying what they are doing by the tone and style of their updates, and their choice of words. So for improved engagement from your social media communications, try to smile and have fun.

Here’s my infographic of the week: