I like musicals. I said that. I like musicals. One of my favorite musicals is West Side Story. It’s Puerto Rican style. And one of my favorite WSS songs is “Cool.” You know how it sounds: “Boy, boy, crazy boy / Stay calm, boy / Breeze, it buzzes / Easy. Hold it cool, boy.” Feel free to sing this while reading this.

This theme is about “cool games” on the Internet. By that I mean when someone sees what you’re doing online and says, “Wow, how cool” instead of “Really? It’s not cool at all. What were you thinking?”

So, are you ready to “play cool”?

Funny rule 1. Always tell the truth about yourself. Social media is like giant pools. You have to dive and dive into the water. Do not stand on the edge by immersing your sock in the water. Don’t play in the children’s area. If you really want to create a great social presence, you should be willing to tell the truth about yourself. That’s cool. People will know you’re cool if you’re honest.

Cool Rule 2: Show your face. If not, tell us something about yourself. You should have a profile picture, you should have a profile picture. Did I mention that you should have a profile picture? Another really cool thing.

Cool Rule 3: Stop talking about your business opportunities. I understand. I get it. Thanks for sharing it for the 200th time. Pretend to be indifferent. Here’s a new concept: talk about yourself. What books do you read? What movies do you like? Do you have a family? What’s your favorite hobby? Believe me, NO ONE will sign up for your business if you want to chase people down your throat. It’s so cool.

Cool Rule 4: Never click “Reply to All.” I know that people sometimes make mistakes and usually click “Reply to Everyone” for a message I send to all my friends. Although it’s a real mistake, it’s still cool. This is what I call “lazy lead building,” meaning you’re using a list I’ve worked on so much, and just spamming people with a new business opponent. Guess? If you do, your reputation will deteriorate very quickly. A huge no-no.

Cool Rule 5: Be polite. Be plotible. Be positive. Be united. Be loving. I’m not excited by the negativity. Few people do that. If you are a negative person who likes to criticize everything, perhaps social networking is not for you. I think it’s so cool when I get amazing positive emotions from my friends. I did my best to dissipate my own vibrations every day. In return, I get amazing.

So remember, “Come on, cat, come on, but not as a schoolboy yo-yo. Just play cool, boy. Really cool.”

Julio Ricardo Varela is an experienced editor and marketer. After graduating from Harvard in 1990, Julio worked for some of Boston’s top publishing organizations, including Houghton Mifflin and the Boston Globe. He actively writes various articles on internet marketing.