12 Do’s and Don'ts on Using Social Media
We love the fact that you want to get more active on social media. We really do.
But there’s being active on social media with no purpose and getting nowhere…
And then there’s being active on social media with class, professionalism and leads!
You know which one you’d rather be I am sure!
But how do you get this right?
Firstly, there isn’t one strategy that works for all. Everyone uses social media for different reasons. To identify this, ask yourself these questions. These are the top 5 questions we like to ask our clients before we start a project:
- What do you want to use social media for? Is it for new clients? Is it to raise awareness for your charitable causes? Is it to look for a job?
- Who do you want to connect and engage with?
- Why do you want to use social media?
- What do you expect to get out of it?
- How will you know if you are being “successful” on the social media game? How do you measure success?
The answers to these questions will help us know in an instant if the person has the right mindset towards social media and if we’re the right agency for them to deliver the results.
We then go through a 7 step module that breaks down the theory and the PRACTICE of shaping their profile and their content on the most suitable social media platform for that client.
As a freebie, we’re going to be sharing with you our top 12 tips for practising the correct social media etiquette so that you can feel confident and prepared when spending more time online.
NUMBER 1
Do not pitch someone you have never met, never spoken to, never contacted before with a long text about what you offer and what you do.
Number 2
Do engage with other people’s content including your “competitors”.
Time to see your competitors as COWORKERS. They are educating your ideal customer too! The more your ideal customer is educated the more demand and understanding there is around your services. See your “competitors” as influencers just like you are.
Number 3
This may sound obvious but do not talk badly about other competitors, clients or organizations. Keep it clean!
Number 4
Do connect with your target audience as well as influencers, people who you could team up with to collaborate and even people who can help you in your business.
Yes, connect with people who are also trying to sell to you too! If their service looks of interest then welcome them into your network. You might need them someday or maybe, one of your customers might need them someday and you can be the one who connects them together!
That is still adding value to your customers.
Number 5
Don’t self promote ALL THE TIME. It’s good to post about your successes and achievements but if that is all you do then your feed just becomes about you and there’s nothing in it for the reader.
Number 6
Do post about how you can add value, how you can help, how you can benefit the reader.
Number 7
Do not copy other people’s work. Be authentic.
Number 8
Always do have a call to action. Make sure you clearly state what you want your reader to do: like, share, comment, buy, click etc.
Number 9
Do not have too many calls to actions at the same time.
Pick one specific call to action that you think will make a difference. For example don’t say: please comment and share this post and then click on the link to buy your tickets!
Number 10
Do varied posts: videos, images, articles, text, polls, etc.
Number 11
Do not false advertise. Don’t say something is free just to tease them and then actually try to sell them something.
If it’s free it’s free – give them what you offered. Be clear about what you’re advertising.
Number 12
Do engage with your followers. If someone connects with you and follows your work, reach out to them to say thanks. Offer your help. Get to know them.
Our BONUS general rule for you is: Keep it consistent on a daily basis and keep it MANAGEABLE.
Everyday try to: engage on 5 people’s content, add 3 new people to your network, private message 2 people, and post 1 thing. These are manageable tasks that you can do on your own.
If you want to increase the volume of content, the quality and the interactions, then you may need to hire a full time experienced social media and content manager. Especially if you haven’t got the time to do it yourself. Or, you can pay freelancers to manage it for you.
Start small and work your way up.
If you liked this article but need more support and would like to ask us your burning content questions, please feel free to get in touch by booking a discovery call via our website.
