Essential Social Media Do’s and Don’ts for Every Business

Essential Social Media Do’s and Don’ts for Every Business

Are you making the most of social media to grow your brand?

If not, you should be. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. all offer an effective way to interact with customers directly, attract new buyers and increase visibility.

More than one in three consumers surveyed admitted to using social networksto source more information on businesses or products.

But there are certain do’s and don’ts to consider if you want to see real results with social media. Here are some of the best.

DO Interact with Followers

One of the most important factors for any business on social media is to interact with people. A lot.

Just one or two responses to questions or comments isn’t enough. You need to stay on top of this and take advantage of interaction opportunities as they arise. Even if all it takes is a quick thank you or a link to a product or service on your site.

Leaving questions or comments unanswered will frustrate whoever posted them and make other users think your brand undervalues your audience.

DON’T Neglect Branding

Take the time to make your business account look professional. Users may assume it’s fake or question your credibility if they see no images, logos or information.

This may be a customer’s first encounter with your brand. You need to make a good impression and sell yourself as a legitimate company.

Add photos of:

• your products

• location(s)

• employees at work (with their permission, of course)

Include contact details, opening hours and more too. Give prospects all the information they need to get in touch.

Think about what you want to see when browsing other companies’ social accounts for inspiration.

DO Embrace Different Media Formats

Images, videos, text, GIFs and audio should all appear in your posts. Mixing your content up on a regular basis keeps it fresh and exciting.

Users will start to get bored of your social activity if they see the same types of content again and again. With so many businesses competing for attention on social networks, you can never take users’ boredom threshold for granted.

Social media posts containing videos tend to earn 48 percent more viewsthan those without, and Facebook racks up more than eight billion video viewsevery day. Even if you just take viewers on a quick tour of your office, warehouse etc. or introduce your team, videos are much more likely to net more attention than text or an image alone.

Just make sure to keep them brief. The longer your videos are, the less appealing they become.

DON’T Try Too Hard to Get Attention

You might be tempted to ask followers to share your business’s posts and comment on them, especially if you’re struggling to get traction.

But appearing desperate for visibility won’t win you any fans. In fact, followers may become frustrated by your requests and block you.

You need to find ways to encourage users to share your content and interact with your posts. And this leads us nicely into the next tip …

DO Host Contests and Giveaways to Stimulate Interest

People love to get something for nothing. It’s a no-brainer.

Take advantage of this by running contests on your social media accounts. Offer prizes followers genuinely want and make entering the competition easy.

One great example of a brand doing this right is Funko, which hosts regular giveaways on Twitter. Followers can take part just by retweeting the relevant post — this gives them a real incentive and involves almost no effort on their part.

But the big benefit for Funko is the sheer number of retweets each giveaway post receives. Thousands of users share them in the hope of winning a product (usually vinyl figures) and boost the brand’s visibility at the same time.

DON’T Use Social Media to Vent

Be wary of using social media as a way to complain about other businesses or customers. And certainly, never bemoan the lack of interest your social media activities generate. Your brand will come across as being petulant and desperate for attention.

Make sure whoever runs your social accounts understands the damage one ill-conceived post can do to your business’s reputation too. They may be having a tough day or feel irritated by their work, but they should never use your business account as a way to get something off their chest.

DO Be Sparing with Sales-focused Posts

You can and should use social media to promote your products or services. But do so sparingly.

Bombarding followers with a stream of heavy-handed posts showing items off won’t do your brand any favors. People are likely to hide your content or unfollow you, and you could see your engagement drop in a big way.

Focus on offering informative, valuable content and interacting with followers more than selling.

DON’T Lie or Overlook Mistakes

Transparency is fundamental for any business looking to retain customers’ trust. That means if your brand makes a mistake or acts inappropriately, you have to own up to it.

Lying about it or trying to pass the blame makes your business appear dishonest. People might lose trust and take their custom elsewhere.

Admit when employees or managers have done something wrong. Apologize. Explain what actions have been taken and how the same mistakes will be avoided in the future.

Conclusion

Take social media seriously. It’s not always easy to reach your target audience and build a following. It’s not always easy to stay on users’ good side either.

But with enough time, effort and creativity, you can make social media work for you.

At Reputation Mart, our expert team is here to help you make the most of social media and grow your brand. We’ve worked with countless businesses to expand their reach, build interest in their products / services and achieve positive results.

Want to know more about our social media marketing service? Just get in touch today!