When thinking of possible topics for my next blog post, my iTunes started to play comedian George Carlin’s famous skit “7 words you can never say on television.” If you have not heard the skit, you can go find it on YouTube, but I’m not providing a link because it is filled with 7 inappropriate words (as the title suggests).

I skipped onto the next song on my iTunes, but Carlin’s piece made me start thinking… what are the 7 things you should never say in social media?

Whether it is Twitter, Facebook, your blog, or any other platform, these are the 7 things I came up with.

1. Don’t use the 7 words you cannot say on television. Pretty self explanatory- most users appreciate a limited use of profanity, cursing, swears, etc.
2. Don’t assume a false identity. At this point, most have heard this rule and learned from the famous corporate mistakes of the past. But it can’t be said enough- be authentic, transparent and who you say you are.
3. Don’t repeatedly spam the same message. Joining social media and then spamming with the same one message everyday is not considered joining the conversation. Some self promotion is expected and accepted- just do it in a valuable and considerate way.
4. Don’t hold a private conversation online. What is said on the Web, stays on the Web. There is no such thing as a private conversation in social media- use a phone, email, or better yet, a face-to-face meeting for those conversations. Everyone will hear what you say, especially those you don’t want to have listening
5. Don’t share a private photograph online. Know what a photo is worth—and what it costs. Not only should you be careful what you say, but be careful what images you share- this is especially for all those high school or college students entering the “real world.” Your interviewer, boss, spouse or mom is now on Facebook and will see those photos from Spring Break.
6. Don’t program your responses. This one is up for debate and a very common practice on Twitter. I understand that with the enormous quantity of new followers, it is often hard to keep up with all of them. But personally, an obvious auto-reply does nothing to make me feel more connected to your community or conversation. I would skip the auto messages for a personalized one down the road.
7. Don’t sit on the sidelines! Social media, and all these rules/warnings, can be very scary to people and companies. This results in the greatest mistake of all —not saying anything. To gain value and be heard—you must join the conversation.