Social Media Do's and Don'ts

Social media and social networking are quickly becoming the norm for today’s businesses. You will find many companies involved with using blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets for their business purposes. The point is to join these social media channels to build learning and trust with customers. 

Know Your Audience
Know what your goals are and who your target audience is. Focus your social media activities on them.

Helpful Advise
Offering helpful, value-added information will grow your audience.

Relationships
You can't go out and simply buy loyal social media fans, it’s all about building relationships. Be likeable and don’t take yourself too seriously.

Creative
Stand out and do something different with your content. It should be fun and creative, authentic, and truthful.

Respectful
Be polite and respectful. Use the same tone as you would if you were talking with client/customer in person. Don’t be pushy and try to overtly market or sell. Instead, educate, enlighten, inform, and entertain your audience. Allow them to come to you. After all, an engaged follower is more likely to become a customer.

Be an Expert
Definitely do not post material that is inappropriate or outside your area of expertise.

Envolve
Social media is ever changing and it’s important to learn and listen to what people are saying about you, your company, and your industry. Be prepared to evolve your products and services to meet the needs of your audience. They may suggest valuable ideas you never even thought of.

Time
Social media success take time, so be patient. It may be relatively easy and free to create, but it takes time to build a following. Take the time to chip away at everyday tasks and be disciplined to sustain your participation and interaction.