And the winner is…
Forgetting that it’s public and what happens in Vegas, stays in YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Flickr, Digg, Google Buzz, Chum.ly, etc…
Want more?
I’ve got a huge list of blunders but will wait a few days to see what I’ve forgotten or hadn’t learned about.
But here’s a starter list:
Responding to EVERY negative comment at the expense of building good will with the ones that love you.
There are trolls out there – the anonymous losers – who will waste your time.
Don’t let them.
Now, if you really screw up… own it FAST!
That’s when you need to foster your carpal tunnel syndrome and personally respond.
Just ask Loic LeMeur about his experience at LeWeb.
Calling in sick and then checking in to a bar on Foursquare or Gowalla.
Please, one of the reasons I love social media is the transparency.
It’s also one of the reasons I trust my social media groups more than many people I know in brick-and-mortar business.
Flame Wars – entering into bitch matches online just for the sake of traffic.
That said, you should occasionally come to your own defense online.
But it’s not solid, loyal traffic… so why bother?
Bulk emailing your buddies – not a good idea.
In fact, it’s a horrible idea.
Writing on your own wall – it’s not cool to write on your own wall according to someone else.
But, you can do it to start a conversation.
The more user-generated content, the better.
That said, I do it 
Over-do the widgets - is it harder for your customers to find what they want than see if it’s raining in Rio?
You get the point.
If you must gadget-ize… set up a special page on your site and call it “Geek Heaven” or something akin to that.
Forgetting to say “thanks” - a personal reply as simple as “thank you” or “I appreciate that” will do far more than an auto-responder or nothing at all.
By saying thank you – but not in an auto-reply because they suck – you really stand out.
Friending people you don’t know or barely know – if they’re spammers or porn-sters, you’re eventually going to have to block or un-friend them.
It also just makes you look like you’re cheap and easy.
But hey, if you are cheap and easy and that’s how you want to brand yourself, go for it!
All the best!
Chris
