Social media can be a wonderful advertising tool for your business. Getting comfortable with social media and the ever-changing algorithms it has can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you are just starting out. Knowing the do’s and don’ts of social media can be scary. Finding the right platform(s) for your business can also be frustrating if you don’t know what you’re looking for either.
Social media marketing is one of the best ways to market your business, large or small. Here are some social media do’s and don’ts to help you start your journey into the world of social media marketing.
Five Do’s of Social Media Marketing
DO: Have An Audience In Mind
Knowing who you’re trying to reach on social media is a large part of the battle. If you’re unsure of who your audience is, posting to social media can feel like throwing shots into the dark; you’ll miss much more than you’ll hit. Tailoring posts to the sorts of customers and clients you want to reach will begin the process of building relationships and communication with your audience.
DO: Be Personable
Much like meeting new people, it only takes a few seconds for a potential client or customer to make a decision about your social media pages. Try sharing more pictures and videos of the people behind your business! These small page decisions can make a huge difference to someone visiting your page for the first time. Have fun advertising you and your business.
DO: Separate Business And Personal Accounts
If your business is still growing, it may seem easier to manage your business and personal life on one account. However, to new clients and customers this can be confusing upon first glance. If someone is looking for your business, but all they can find is your personal account, they may overlook your business. It’s best to keep your business and personal accounts separate, so that when people look into your business, they know they’ve found what they’re looking for.
DO: Include Promotions And Giveaways
One of the best ways to promote your business’ services is by providing people the opportunity to experience them! Promotional offers prompt new clients to take a small risk in using your business with the potential of securing them in the future for more business. And giveaways offer a trial opportunity for those who may not be sure they want to invest their time and money into your business! These will both help bring in new customers and clients.
DO: Use the Right Platforms For You
Not all social media is created equally. Knowing your audience and what demographics you’re trying to reach plays a large role in deciding online presence. If your business is more creative, and your work is best showcased visually, Instagram would be a fantastic platform to focus on. If you’re a smaller business still growing, Twitter isn’t where you want to start out. It’s okay to identify the platforms you feel would be best for your business and focusing there first!
Five Don’ts of Social Media Marketing
DON’T: Be Political
A great blanket rule for social media marketing is to avoid politics. Being political on your business page(s) shows you may have a hard time separating personal feelings from business. This could potentially risk isolating a large portion of your target audience. By sharing political convictions and beliefs, you are opening your business to unwanted assumptions and connections.
DON’T: Post Too Often
You may think the more you post online the more people will see your content, but we heavily suggest you do not. Many social media algorithms penalize accounts that post too often, or ‘spam,’ their content. Less people will hear about your business, and you risk having your account deleted for suspicious behavior.
DON’T: Overuse Hashtags
If posting too much is bad, surely using as many hashtags as you can fit makes up for it… right? Nope! Using too many hashtags can attract fake profiles called ‘bots’ to your page, and real people viewing your content may believe you’re being disingenuous with them.
DON’T: Bash Competitors
Publicly bashing competitors on either a business OR a personal page is a bad idea, plain and simple. Professionalism is important to maintain both online and offline.
DON’T: Assume You’ll Go Viral
Going viral online is NOT the best way to measure your business’s success online. Not only is it impossible to predict what will or won’t go viral, but going viral doesn’t equate to customers/clients. Consistent, quality content will always do more for your business than wondering why your memes didn’t turn you into Beyoncé overnight!