Some business leaders and organizations are failing at social media and don’t even know it. It’s easy to live and work in a silo. It’s easy to attribute those one-time likes as a measure of your success, but don’t fool yourself. Social media is vast and fluid. While it’s forever changing, some things, common practices, still remain the same. While you may not hear or read complaints, it’s very easy for users to ignore, hide, unfriend or un-follow you.
Here are some tips on what you should and should not do.
Don’t Lie.
Some business leaders and organizations stretch the truth about various things. Don’t post something that isn’t 100% true. We will find out and then your credibility will be shot.
Don’t Spam.
I followed you because I was already a fan. One ad or self-promotion a week may be fine but don’t let that be ALL that you ever post or I will unfollow you or unlike you. If you put a personality to your page, add some great content and a bit of humor, I will share your stuff and you will get new fans.
Don’t Steal.
Don’t steal other people/organizations/brands stuff. Just don’t do it. Give credit where credit is due. Reposting other people’s stuff is fine as long as you give them credit for it but putting a post, photo or idea out there like you created or own it when you poached it is just stinky and people will remember that about you.
Don’t Criticize.
Don’t posts negative things about other groups, businesses or brands. All that does is make you look bad. In fact, just don’t post anything negative at all. Remember that everyone loves animals and unicorns.
DO Post Quality Content.
I realize the majority of your content will be about you or the brand, but your social media page should have a personality. You should share important things and humorous things and eye catching graphics and emotionally driven content too. Our lives are multifaceted and your page should be too.
DO answer me.
This is critical if you want to keep followers and fans. If I take the time to post a question or concern on your page, you need to take the time to answer me. Hire someone to do it if you have to, it’s called customer service. Turning off posts by others on your Facebook page doesn’t get you off the hook. If you see something posted about you on Twitter or if you get a private message, you need to answer or at least acknowledge your constituents.
And finally, for those of you who have personal page accounts on Facebook to “relate” to real people, your fans, etc… start relating to them! I have a great example of an organization’s president who has about 2k people on his “personal” Facebook page. If you are one of those 2k people you may have felt quite special at one time. Then you took time out of your day to post some words of encouragement or congratulations on the promotion or new baby or maybe you posted a happy birthday and that ‘friend’ couldn’t be bothered to type a thank you or give you a simple thumbs-up.
Here are some tips on what you should and should not do.
Don’t Lie.
Some business leaders and organizations stretch the truth about various things. Don’t post something that isn’t 100% true. We will find out and then your credibility will be shot.
Don’t Spam.
I followed you because I was already a fan. One ad or self-promotion a week may be fine but don’t let that be ALL that you ever post or I will unfollow you or unlike you. If you put a personality to your page, add some great content and a bit of humor, I will share your stuff and you will get new fans.
Don’t Steal.
Don’t steal other people/organizations/brands stuff. Just don’t do it. Give credit where credit is due. Reposting other people’s stuff is fine as long as you give them credit for it but putting a post, photo or idea out there like you created or own it when you poached it is just stinky and people will remember that about you.
Don’t Criticize.
Don’t posts negative things about other groups, businesses or brands. All that does is make you look bad. In fact, just don’t post anything negative at all. Remember that everyone loves animals and unicorns.
DO Post Quality Content.
I realize the majority of your content will be about you or the brand, but your social media page should have a personality. You should share important things and humorous things and eye catching graphics and emotionally driven content too. Our lives are multifaceted and your page should be too.
DO answer me.
This is critical if you want to keep followers and fans. If I take the time to post a question or concern on your page, you need to take the time to answer me. Hire someone to do it if you have to, it’s called customer service. Turning off posts by others on your Facebook page doesn’t get you off the hook. If you see something posted about you on Twitter or if you get a private message, you need to answer or at least acknowledge your constituents.
And finally, for those of you who have personal page accounts on Facebook to “relate” to real people, your fans, etc… start relating to them! I have a great example of an organization’s president who has about 2k people on his “personal” Facebook page. If you are one of those 2k people you may have felt quite special at one time. Then you took time out of your day to post some words of encouragement or congratulations on the promotion or new baby or maybe you posted a happy birthday and that ‘friend’ couldn’t be bothered to type a thank you or give you a simple thumbs-up.
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