Long gone are the days of knocking on doors and handing out fliers to increase brand awareness. Today, social media is extremely important for businesses because it can help find new clients and engage with interested users and existing customers.
With plenty of social media platforms out there for companies to take advantage of, it’s all too easy to get lost in the choices. Too many brands focus solely on just being visible on social media, and completely forget to consider whether they’re doing it the right way. One mistake can make a business’s reputation take a huge hit, and a damaged reputation online may be challenging to fix.
The best way to avoid this is to have a clear understanding of what you should do and shouldn’t do on social media. If you’re feeling lost, you’re in the right place – guiding small businesses through the ins and outs of social media is exactly what this guide is for!
Here are the things that you should DO:
1. Complete your social media profiles
Before you post on social media, you need to first fill out your profile. Each social media platform has their own set of requirements for a profile, and some might take longer to set up. For example, a Facebook business page takes a little more effort to set up compared to Twitter. Although there are some differences, one key component stays the same: you must have all your business details on your social media profiles (think address, phone number, email address, and maybe even hours of operation). It’s also a good thing to remember that you shouldn’t use the same profile description across all your social media accounts. Shake it up a bit and find a way to fit each profile to the social media platform you’re on.
2. Engage with your followers
Engage with your followers every chance you get. The more active engagement that you create with followers, the better it is for your brand. One great way to do this is by replying to comments. Reply as much as possible, and make it meaningful – you want each and every comment to develop into a conversation.
3. Be sincere
Followers can smell an insincere sales pitch from a mile away. Let’s face it, we’re all bombarded with shallow advertising and marketing from the moment we turn on a screen – from commercials to targeted ads to DMs (we’re looking at you, girl bosses). When you post on social media, don’t make it sales-y. Instead, be sincere in the type of content that you post.
4. Acknowledge negative comments
A lot of business owners disregard negative comments while others delete or hide them. That can actually hurt a brand’s reputation more than the actual comments, because it gives the impression of guilt. Instead, address the negative comments properly. By doing so, you can show people that you owe up to your mistakes and you can address it well.
Now, here are the things that you shouldn’t do on social media:
1. Don’t post content related to controversial issues
When posting on social media, it’s best to avoid controversial topics, such as the ones that are about politics, religion, race, etc. Unless it’s relevant to your industry, avoid it as much as possible.
2. Don’t be desperate
Don’t be that business owner who continually bugs people to “like” or “share” their posts. You want followers to be naturally motivated to share your posts with their own audiences – not bullied or harassed. If you’re including a callout for followers to like and share, you should also be offering a clear incentive for them to do so – like a giveaway or a promotion.
3. Don’t use too many hashtags
Hashtags can help you build a following on social media platforms. They can also help customers find your posts. However, this doesn’t mean that you should overuse them. Having too many hashtags on your post is not visually appealing, so make sure to take it easy on the hashtags.
Conclusion
Consider these social media dos and don’ts an etiquette guide that will keep your business on good terms with users online. Social media is fun, but it can also be a tricky place to be in if you’re not careful.
Every social media platform today has its own set of rules and requires different marketing techniques. Nevertheless, these dos and don’t’s apply despite the specific guidelines of each platform. Now, with these in mind, you can build a more substantial online presence by establishing your business on social media platforms – and by engaging with followers the right way. T here are so many opportunities for connection and promotion that you simply can’t afford not to engage on these platforms.