Facebook Etiquette – Tagging

All social media sites set their own written rules of Do’s and Don’ts for users to follow. Besides, users themselves have evolved un-written rules of Social Media Etiquette or Netiquette as also popularly called.

The etiquette differs depending upon the feature and the social media site. In this post, we are going to discuss, Facebook Tagging Etiquette.

First, let us honestly consider the following facts:

• Most users on the social media have virtual friends whom they never met in life.
• There is a very small number of users on the social media who do not make friends beyond relatives and real life acquaintances.
• Users join the social media for different reasons, and one can’t set rules for others.
• Every site offers various features that users may or may not use. Say, one may play games or use apps while others may not. One can’t tell others whether or not to use a certain feature.
• Any net-entrepreneur, webmaster, blogger, and others need to reach out to as many people on the net as possible in search of potential prospects for their products and services.

If you accept the above facts then you will agree that there is a general urge to see our social media interactions are read, seen, listened, and appreciated by a large number of friends who may like, comment, and share to their friends as well. People use various features available on a social media site to do that.

Facebook Tagging is one such great feature that enables you reach out to large number of users, both the people you know, and the people who know your friends.

Nevertheless, we need to use social media to live in harmony with our valued friends. We must see to it that in order to further our own objectives, we may not annoy others whose friendship we value.

So we need to have a balancing act of achieving our goals on the one hand and honoring rules and etiquette on the other.

Keeping in view, Facebook averages 100 million tags per day, we don’t want to debate whether it is proper etiquette To Tag or Not To Tag but guide Facebook users how they may tag or un-tag themselves, and the ability to opt out of tagging suggestions.

Most of this guide is summarized for your easy reading with latest updates from the official Facebook Desktop Help. If you still have unanswered querries, you may visit the site, and learn in more details:

Facebook has taken adequate measures to help everyone whether you like to get tagged or not. Read the article whether you are proponent or opponent of Facebook Tagging as it’s going to help you both.

Facebook Tagging

Some users love it, Some users hate it, and Some users are still ignorant.

Tagging yourself or your friends on Facebook is a great way to share your post with both the people you know, and the people who know your friends.

You can tag friends in videos, photos, check-ins and status updates, among other types of interactions.

Timeline and Tagging Settings

Facebook offers users the following timeline and tagging settings that you should be aware of.

• Who can add things to my timeline?
  1. Who can post on your timeline?
  2. Review posts that friends tag you in before they appear on your Timeline?
• Who can see things on my timeline?
  1. Review what other people see on your timeline
  2. Who can see posts you have been tagged in on your timeline?
  3. Who can see what others post on your timeline?
• How can I manage tags people add and tagging suggestions?
  1. Review tags people add to your own posts before the tags appear on Facebook?
  2. When you are tagged in a post, who do you want to add to the audience if they are not already in it?
  3. Who sees tag suggestions when photos that look like you are uploaded?

When you tag someone,

you create a link to their profile, anyone who sees that update can click on your friend’s name and go to their profile.

your friend will be notified.

your status update may be shared with the person tagged and their friends.

• If you don’t want your photo, post or other content to be visible to the friends of the person tagged, you can turn this setting off for each post when you post it.
  To do this, click the audience selector next to the story, select Custom, and uncheck the Friends of those tagged box.

Who can tag me?

Anyone can tag you in photos and other posts.

You can also choose to review tags by anyone, including your friends. If you don’t like something you are tagged in, you can remove the tag [explained later] or ask the person who tagged you to remove the post.

Tags from people you are not friends with may appear in your Timeline review, where you can decide if you want to allow them on your Timeline.

How do I tag people?

Follow these steps:

1. Click on the Timeline Photo you want to tag. This will open a larger version of the photo.
2. Place your cursor anywhere over the picture.
3. A popup info bar will appear at the bottom.
4. Click the Tag Photo button in that bar.
5. Click on the photo to start tagging.
6. To tag someone, start typing their name and then select their profile from the dropdown menu that appears (make sure to capitalize the first letter of their name). To tag a Page, type the “@” symbol and then start typing the Page’s name.
7. When you are finished tagging the photo, click the Finished Tagging button on the popup info bar.

What is Timeline Review?

Timeline review lets you choose whether posts you are tagged in appear on your Timeline.

When people you are not friends with tag you in a post, they automatically go to Timeline review.

To turn on Timeline Review:

1. select Settings from any Facebook page Dropdown Menu at the top right
2. Click Timeline and Tagging from the left side
3. Look for the setting Review posts friends tag you in before they appear on your Timeline? and click Edit to the far right
4. Select Enabled from the dropdown menu

What is Tag Review?

Tag review is an option that lets you approve or dismiss tags that people add to your posts. When tag review is enabled, you will get a notification when you have a post to review. You can approve or ignore the tag request by going to the post.

To turn on Tag Review:

1. select Settings from any Facebook page Dropdown Menu at the top right
2. Click Timeline and Tagging from the left side
3. Look for the setting Review tags people add to your own posts before the tags appear on Facebook? and click Edit to the far right
4. Select Enabled from the dropdown menu

How do I know when someone tags me?

Depending on your settings, you will receive a notification when someone tags you. You can choose what notifications you receive about tags from your settings:

1. select Settings from any Facebook page Dropdown Menu at the top right
2. Click Notifications from the left side
3. Click Tags under the What You Get Notified About section
4. Select what audience you want to receive notifications from

Approving and Removing Tags

How do I remove a tag?

1. select Activity Log from any Facebook page Dropdown Menu at the top right
2. Click Photos from the left side
3. Select the photos you would like to remove a tag from
4. Click Report/Remove Tags at the top of the page
5. Click Untag Photos to confirm

What if I don’t like something I am tagged in?

If you are not happy with a post you are tagged in, you can remove the tag or ask the person who tagged you to take the photo or post down:

1. On your Timeline, hover over the story and click audience selector
2. Select Report/Remove Tag from the dropdown menu
3. Select I want to remove this tag on a post or I want to untag myself on a photo
4. Choose to remove the tag or ask the person who shared the photo to take it down

What the person tagged gain?

• If you tag a friend in your status update, anyone who sees that update can click on your friend’s name and go to their profile.
  
  [The person’s profile may gain more views, friends, and interactions.]
• Your status update may also show up on that friend’s Timeline.
  
  [The person’s profile may gain more content.]
• [The person may be found by more friends.]

Facebook Tagging Etiquette

• We have seen that tagging is a popular way to bring together friends to have a conversation. And Facebook offers adequate safeguard and exit routes for users who wouldn’t like to be tagged. Still there is an etiquette to be followed, as tagging may annoy some of your friends.
• You may find that some of your friends are tagged by others, and they like, comment, and share. It’s an indication that they are not averse to tagging. It would still be better to ask permission, and make a list of friends whom you may tag.
• Do not tag too many friends on the same post, and do not tag more than once in 24 to 48 hours.
• Do not use tagging for sales promotion, self propaganda, or to promote your clients’ interests.
• Tag your friends on rich and quality content so that they may like to join the conversation.
• Tag friends of a certain nationality to celebrate their national events. Similarly, tag friends belonging to a particular community to celebrate their festivals.
• If you don’t like to be tagged, don’t express your annoyance in comments that others may read. Send your friend a polite message. You never know when you may seek his help.
• Don’t just tag your friends, interact with their posts as well. That would convey the message that you tag those friends whose posts you like.
• Tagging is an excellent way of staying in touch with friends in different time zones who miss out each other’s posts unless visit their profiles.

Moral of the Post

Social media can help you build great friendship. You work hard to build up your reputation, and friends you make are your business prospects. Spamming and annoying a good friend may ruin your reputation in minutes. Add value, don’t spam. I would end with Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote:

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