The last #MobileBizChat on Twitter contained a lively discussion on enforcing “corporate-appropriate behavior”, among other items. While there is universal acceptance that there’s a problem, there’s little consensus on how to address it, including what role IT systems play, if at all. Sometimes, the best answers don’t require a systemic or top-down approach. The “wisdom of the crowds” can provide the best inspirations.

Good behavior is rewarded. Look at thought leaders with high follower numbers or third-party validated social influence (like via Klout) is that they are respectful. Some examples:

1.)  New “followers” get a Tweet or direct message saying, “Thanks for the follow.” In many cases, they are also followed back.

2.)  If someone Re-Tweets a post, they often receive a “thanks for the RT” reply from the author. (I’ve seen this mentioned as “reciprocate gracefully” in a CIO.com blog post from C.G. Lynch.)

3.)  When commenting on a story from the blogosphere, the author and/or media site’s Twitter handles are referenced. When those mentioned notice, they often receive a “Thank you.”

4.)  Many thought leaders participate in #FollowFriday posts where they Tweet about the people that influence them.

In Twitter, respectfulness drives respect, which, in turn, impacts engagement, reach and response.

Twitter best practices, however, don’t directly translate to the larger business world since writing the best practices down and distributing in an email will likely be met with indifference. They need to be put in place, ideally by leaders within the company. In the flight to quality, others will use these elements themselves, benefiting themselves and their business.

Many IT decision makers, CISOs and HR execs express concern about social media. Here is an example where understanding social media norms can positively impact the business.

Do you think that Twitter best practices have can help with the business etiquette  dilemma? If so, how? Share your thoughts in the comments below.