According to Social Media Examiner, almost 90% of marketers say their social marketing efforts have increased exposure for their business and 75% say they’ve increased traffic. Using social media for business is a good thing. Except when it’s not, of course. Social media is a great way to build up a brand—but it can destroy it just as easily. Let’s go through some examples of social media business page don’ts to help you maximize your results.
How can something so good be so bad? As with other digital marketing efforts, creating a social media business page that continuously drives organic traffic comes with its own set of rules. Whether you’re an established organization or a one-man brand, here’s our top ten DON’Ts to keep in mind.
Proceed with Caution: Social Media Business Page Don’ts
1. Don’t shout into an empty hole.
While Facebook is still the fastest growing social network, focus your efforts on the social media channels that matter most to your specific audience. Whether B2B or B2C, build a presence on the platforms that make the most sense for your audience.
2. Don’t be someone you aren’t.
You’re an expert in your field, feel confident to position yourself as the go-to resource for your audience. That way, when they have a need, they’ll know exactly where to turn. Without a doubt. But, if you try to be Mr. Cool or overly conservative (when you’re clearly not), your audience will smell the fakeness a mile away. Stick with messaging and images that embody your brand.
3. While we’re on the subject of fake, don’t buy likes.
Grow your audience the right way. Sure, you can shell out some bucks to get big numbers for a fat ego boost, but what you really want is a sustainable group of humans who are actually interested in what you have to say. And that takes a good old-fashioned formula of patience + sharing relevant, valuable content.
4. Don’t post irrelevant content.
Your social media business page is an extension of your brand. If you post too many promotional message, people will unfollow you. Over 50% say that they would unfollow a brand on social media if they posted irritating posts and close to 30% said they would mark the business page as spam and block them. Find a good balance of promos with educational, entertaining and inspirational content that ties back to your core business.
5. Don’t post too often.
Post too often and you’ll be flagged as spam. Be strategic about your posting frequency and schedule. For example, some research suggests that if you want the most eyeballs, clicks, and comments on your Facebook content, you’ll want to post between 12-4 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Think everyone should be working at that time? Who are we to judge?
6. But, don’t be too quiet, either.
Brands who go radio silent on social media might be viewed as lazy, uninvolved or even, gasp, out of business. Make a commitment to stay in front of your audience’s eyes to stay top of mind. Share content from other industry resources, take viewers behind the scenes, publish relevant and useful posts to give them as many reasons as possible to follow your business page. Aim for 1-2 posts a day and see how your audience reacts.
7. Don’t ignore your followers.
If your audience interacts with your brand on a post or leaves you a review, respond to them. This is your chance to deliver quality customer service and engage with them through comments and questions. Today, consumers expect to receive answers quickly (even in real-time). Being responsive can be key to prompt consumers to make a purchase from a brand.
8. Don’t fire back a response without thinking first.
If someone has a negative response, don’t delete the post from your business page. Customers might see this reaction as a sign you’re trying to hide something. Respond quickly, but take the time to think about the consequences first.
9. And while we’re on the subject of Negative Nancys, don’t feed the trolls.
There’s a difference between a customer with a complaint and someone who’s clearly out to tarnish your name. Don’t play their games. Stay focused on a professional response and simply provide them your customer service information to contact you directly.
10. Don’t get stuck in a rut.
Post the same things over and over and your audience will get bored and, you guessed it, unfollow you. Test out new ideas for marketing campaigns and experiment with different headline copy and enticing call-to-actions.
And in the case that you’ve made it through this list unscathed, don’t spread yourself too thin.
Streamline efforts to work smarter, not harder. Schedule and automate messages whenever possible but keep your personalized approach.
Get in the game with the right knowledge and set of tools to help you make your business a success on social media. Trusted by industry leaders, Post Cafe helps brands grow a strong social media reputation with relevant and engaging content that helps you stay top-of-mind.
