Social Media Do’s and Don’ts

2017 • Social Media

No matter whether it’s your own website or a social networking site, there are certain rules of the road that are the same throughout today’s social media landscape. Here are some do’s and don’ts to help make sure you’re getting the most out of your forays into social media.

Tip: VIDEO: Use more native video. Why? Because video posts are 62% more likely to engage than photos.

80/20 RULE: 80% of your content should be relevant to the customer, while 20% can be about your business, products or services.

DO’S

BE SELECTIVE. There’s no one size fits all when it comes to social media. For example, if you want to work on search engine optimization, Google+ and YouTube might be a good fit for you. If you want to drive traffic or increase engagement, however, then Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest could be best. Social Media Today

KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER. Focus on your customer base, not your own interests. Follow the 80/20 rule. That is, 80% of your content should be relevant to the customer, while 20% can be about your business, products or services. IMA (Inbound Marketing)

THINK BEFORE YOU SHARE. Apply common sense. On one hand, remember that what you put out there reflects your business. On the other hand, having no voice may be worse than having a few people disagree with what you said. Take pride in who you are, but keep sight of the image your words are crafting. Outboundengine

DO YOUR HOMEWORK…CONSTANTLY. Read what works where, but make sure you’re checking today’s trends, not last year’s. Maybe you have a great picture gallery. Though that might have been enough last year, you need to know, for example, that native video posts now average over 60% more engagement than photos. Sproutsocial

DON’T

DON’T #OVERUSE #HASHTAGS. They’re a great way to help get tweets and Facebook posts categorized with similar content. While the point is to make sure someone searching with that keyword will locate you, don’t go overboard and start surrounding every single word with hashtags. business2community.

DON’T COMMIT SOCIAL FAUX PAS. One big no-no: Don’t act needy by asking for likes or retweets. If what you’re posting is truly insightful and relevant, then shares, likes, and retweets will take care of themselves. BiznessAPPS

DON’T PLAGIARIZE. It’s fine to share info that you didn’t create when you know your audience is likely to interact with it. Don’t take credit for anything that isn’t yours, however. This applies to both visual media (which is the easiest to plagiarize) and the written word. At very least, you’ll likely get called out on it and be made to look dishonest. SocialMediaToday

DON’T FEAR NEGATIVE COMMENTS. This is a big problem area, as business owners often either ignore or delete negative comments. The truth is that responding in a timely, professional, apologetic manner, you can turn a negative into a positive. By saying you’re sorry and offering to fix the problem, you’re showing you make good on promises. Firebrand

Do any of these “don’ts” ring true? Tell us about how you have turned negatives into positives and join in the Facebook conversation here.