For business owners and marketers, social media is much more than just a photo-sharing opportunity. Social media platforms are used not only to promote a brand and drive traffic to a website, but to establish a reputation in the marketplace and connect with customers. However, the majority of businesses don’t use social media to their best advantage. According to statistics nearly half of marketers fail to show a real return on their social media investment.
To maximize ROI from social media, you must know the dos and don’ts. Take a step back and ensure you have the basics covered before you implement a social marketing strategy. In this blog post, we’ll highlight 5 social media dos and 5 don’ts to help you build a strong social presence. Let’s get started!
5 Dos of Social Media
The following are some of the dos or recommended social media practices:
1. Jump in on relevant conversations
Social media listening allows you to be a part of relevant social discussions. For example, if you sell eco-friendly products, you should consider jumping into conversations where people are talking about the importance of natural, chemical-free products.
2. Think before posting anything
Businesses often post salesy, pushy content on social media. People don’t want to get bombarded with marketing content. Rather, they’re interested in how your product or service solves a particular problem. So, focus on how your brand makes life easier.
3. Know your audience
Not everybody on the web is interested in your business. So, be sure to identify people who are most likely to engage with your brand, especially when it comes to paid social campaigns.
4. Hit the right posting frequency
How many times in a week should you post on social media? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this. However, you should post regularly and shouldn’t overpost. The most important thing is the quality and consistency of your efforts.
5. Communicate with your audience
When you post something and a bunch of people respond to your content, make sure you’re responsive. For example, if someone asks a question, don’t hesitate to come up with an answer. Regular communication on social media will help you build relationships.
5 Don’ts of Social Media
You shouldn’t use social media in a way that destroys your public image or puts off your prospective customers. Here are some of the don’ts of social media to help you avoid some common mistakes:
1. Don’t limit yourself to popular platforms
Have you identified the right social platforms for your business? Your success as a business or marketer depends on a multichannel social media strategy. Explore every platform from YouTube to Pinterest and focus on channels where you receive the most engagement.
2. Don’t have unclear objectives
We often observe that marketers and businesses sign up on a channel like Facebook or Linkedin and then set their goals around getting more clicks and comments. It’s critical to synchronize your social media efforts with your broader business goals.
3. Don’t overuse hashtags
Overuse of hashtags can ruin the authenticity of your posts. So, instead of using too many hashtags, focus on using the right ones.
4. Don’t make it all about you
If your social media content is nothing but self-promotion and marketing, you’ll fail to get tangible results. Offer something that excites your audience and helps them solve a problem. Engage your audience, and lead generation will follow naturally.
5. Don’t be robotic
People don’t like to communicate with bots. Do they? Automation tools and chatbots can be of great help but let your audience have two-way, personalized conversations.
Use Social Media to Create Meaningful Connections
We hope these dos and don’ts will help you fine-tune your social media strategy. Establishing a connection with your audience and understanding their platform preferences are key to making social media work for you. The more you focus on socializing with your audience and drawing them in, the easier it becomes to gain the right exposure for your business and a tangible return on your social media investment.