Social Media has come a long way from its debut at the beginning of the century. Once a platform only looked at as a way for college students to keep tabs on friends has turned into a formidable tool to help brands build customer awareness and affinity.
Social Media strategy and support has become one of the biggest areas of our business, and for good reason. Small businesses simply don’t have the time nor the resources to master the art and science of social media.
While each brand is different, here is a breakdown of some common do’s and don’ts when it comes to social media strategy for your business.
Do: Be Authentic. The customer is smart and can spot an unauthentic brand a mile away. Don’t try to be something you are not, instead highlight what makes you unique. Let your brand personality show – it will go a long way for you.
Do: Ensure your imagery and tone is on brand. Make sure you are using a consistent look and feel with your posting. If your logo and website use the colors blue and white, then your social content should, too. Treat social like you would your site- you wouldn’t use 10 different fonts and colors and photography styles on your site. Your social profiles shouldn’t either.
Do: Create relevant, custom content. So many times brands use stock photography and repurpose it over and over. That is fine occasionally, but make sure you are giving your fans authentic photos and content of your brand. This could be behind-the-scenes videos, a new product or service tutorial or “meet the team” bios. This will go a long way to connect with followers and help your authenticity shine through.
Do: Actively engage with your community. Make sure you are responding to reviews, comments, questions, and complaints in a timely manner. If you encounter complaints, do not delete them, that only makes you appear at fault. Instead, acknowledge the feedback and take the conversation offline to be handle privately.
Do: Participate in paid social. Social media is a pay-to-play environment. Gone are the days of organic posting with tons of views. In today’s world, to build awareness or generate leads you need to pay for brand exposure. (And while we are on the topic, be sure to use a paid media professional to purchase your ads – don’t just boost organic posts that are doing well for your brand!)
Don’t: Think you need to be on every single social media platform. We get this a lot, brands think they need a presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat and TikTok. Chances are most small businesses don’t need this. Pick two or three that matter to your business (each platform offers something different) and be active, which brings us to our next point…
Don’t: Post infrequently. Make a schedule at the beginning of each month and stick to it. Posting multiple times a week will keep your followers engaged (and exposed to your content) and your brand top-of-mind.
Don’t: Ignore the data. Make sure you are looking at your data reports. What days are fans most active with your brand? What types of content are resonating best? How are your paid media metrics stacking up to the benchmarks? These will help you get a feel for what your followers want to see more of, and less of, from your brand.