Peer to peer networking occurs in many venues and forums and in many formats, the most truncated of these being texting and applications like twitter. As with all things digital, in time, etiquette peculiar to the method of communication develops. Or one hopes. A writer at Monster Blog laments that networking decorum is rather lacking amongst networking communities and makes the following suggestions.

• Address the Recipient by Name: Most people love to see and hear their own name — it’s only natural, right? — so make sure to include it in your note. Bonus tip: Spell it right.
• Personalize the Message: Social networkers who value the quality of their contacts want to know why they should connect with you in the first place. Write a few sentences that explain who you are, where and how you found the person and why you’re interested in what they have to say.
• Provide a Clear Action Request: What is it, exactly, that you want the recipient to do after reading your message? Add you as a friend? Join your online group? Add a link in the message that makes your request drop-dead easy to execute.

Making connections online may never result in person to person meetings. The native informality of the medium combined with the “laid back” demeanor of the x and y generations most widely using these tools seems to promote a casualness that too often blurs the line between professionalism and what can simply be described as very sloppy form.

Online, your words are your business attire, your brand, your image. Just as you would. hopefully, not attend, important client meetings dressed for a night at the pub, your decorum on line should always reflect how seriously you take your business. If you don’t, no one else will.