Social Media Do’s and Don’ts for Business
Is your target market online at all? If you are seen as a “non-internet-savvy” kind of business, you are potentially alienating a wide segment of your target market, which in turn can impact your bottom line.
And if you are thinking about starting to build social media into your marketing, it’s wise to consider some of the basic do’s and don’ts before you get too far along.
DO: Put a decent photo of you on your social profile pages.
Anonymous boxes on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn profiles are a fast and powerful indicator that you don’t know what you’re doing or aren’t taking care of your online presence.
DON’T: Regularly post content with no value to your target market.
The sub sandwich you had for lunch is not really that important, and listing every single place you check in and each item you eat will net you a quick “unfollow.”
DO: Ask for recommendations from clients who have worked with you.
These should be posted to LinkedIn and to your business website. They constitute valuable social proof and build your trust level.
DON’T: Build your list in a random way.
It certainly takes longer to find the right people to follow, but building an account via automation or random action is rarely helpful to your business.
DO: Listen. Always.
Social media is a conversation. There’s very little more annoying than someone who inserts themselves into an ongoing conversation without first listening to what’s being said. Listen to your networks and respond thoughtfully to what you’re hearing.
DON’T: Spam people.
Posting too frequently fills up the stream of any of your followers who don’t have thousands in their list. Automated direct messages are considered spam. Posting only about you and your product and service is only appropriate on a profile that states its purpose that way.
Spamming people costs your business credibility and trust. Also it’s evil.
DO: Be a human.
Posting “inspirational” quotes every hour may be something that helps your business (although I would question that assumption), but be sure to also speak normally and respond to others. Your clients and customers will be grateful to know you are a human and not a bot.
DO: Support your social presence with a blog.
Social networks are typically for short, compact communications. A blog lets you expand into a larger dialogue around your particular product or service. Be sure to provide links to your social networks on your business website and blog.
DON’T: Neglect your social platforms for long stretches of time.
This is a tough one, particularly if you are a small business owner trying to handle everything on your own. But even if you show up only once a day (or twice a week) it will be far better than going months at a time without appearing. Be, you know, social.
DON’T: Do social in place of search.
Most businesses will need both a good social presence and top-notch search engine optimization practices in place. One is not a substitute for the other. Definitely follow good practices in both disciplines.
DO: Be generous and give good value.
One of the best ways you can build your business is by being genuinely helpful to the people around you. That goes for those in your social networks, too. Strive to offer content on your blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, and on LinkedIn that is valuable and relevant to your target market.
Need help launching and maintaining a social presence for your business? Contact Calvert Creative today! We help businesses build content that drives revenue. Call us toll-free at 877-495-6851.
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I love all the tips you wrote here, most especially: Be a Human. I think that social media fatigue happens to people who are forced to act like bots on the Social Web and gone were the days when online conversations used to be fun. Although there’s nothing wrong with automating your posts using countless tools out there, I’d say: Do Automate Responsibly. For example, you can automate the non-productive task of sharing news that your audience may find interesting, so you save more time that you can use to get to know them instead. Engagement is crucial these days and gone were the days when broadcasting your message is just enough; people want to be heard…
“Automate Responsibly.” Great way of putting it! Thanks, Aaron, for taking the time to read and comment. (Also, nice app! http://www.garious.com/)