6 important social media rules for your business
Six durable rules for running a business social media presence, from posting cadence to letting a chatbot handle the easy questions.
Social media is now a normal part of running a business, not a novelty. If you want to keep your business visible, you need to be there — and be there consistently.
By incorporating social media, you not only increase revenue but you also improve customer relations and provide better service. A large share of consumers will recommend a brand after a good social media interaction, and skipping the channel entirely means giving up a direct line to people who are already looking for businesses like yours.
Those who already have businesses are well aware of its benefits, but there are some rules that must be followed to maintain a good reputation. Here are some important rules your business must follow to have an impactful social media presence.
1. Don’t over do it
In the same way that you would at a networking event or with a customer in person, use social media to build relationships. Posting only self-promotional material, such as coupon codes, new products, or sales, is a waste of space. Engage with others, share their content, and most importantly, be genuine. People buy from each other, not from companies.
Furthermore, salesy content will result in mass un-followings. In the same way, if you’re trying too hard to incorporate your brand, it comes across as a little too stale. Remember that by liking your page, people have given you permission to appear in their feed, just like they do when they give you their email address. When people do see your posts on all social media platforms, you need to make sure they are worthy of your audience because business content is getting harder and harder to be seen.
2. Always double check before you post
Before posting anything on any social media platform, it’s essential to think about the content first. If so, is it aimed at your audience? Is it relevant to your company’s image? You need to make sure you’re using the right tone and messaging for this audience. When it comes to strategizing for social media, the key is to not treat it as a one-shot deal. It’s just as important to carefully plan and evaluate the message of each of your email marketing campaigns.
When it comes to fact-checking, it’s not just a journalistic endeavor that requires it. Avoid embarrassing blunders on social media by paying close attention to the content you’re posting, especially if it contains references to recent events or news. Because screencaps and caches ensure that the Internet never forgets, even the smallest error can have a significant impact on your company’s reputation.
3. Consistency is key
When a new follower joins a business’s social media accounts, the first thing they do is check the most recent post. They’ll wonder if you’re still in business if you’ve been away for more than a month. When more than a year has passed, they will assume you are no longer in business.
Posting every five minutes isn’t required. Stick to a period of time that you find comfortable, even if it’s less than daily. It doesn’t matter if you post once a day or once a week as long as your readers can see that you’re consistent. A social media calendar planned a few weeks out makes that easy to keep up.
4. Hello, Bot
Customers are more likely to be satisfied when they can get answers from chatbots quickly and efficiently. For the customer, this means less time spent searching and more time spent conversing with a chatbot, which can learn more about their preferences and make suggestions that are more tailored to their wants and needs. In the long run, happy customers become indirect brand ambassadors, and this has a positive impact on the company’s success.
When compared to humans, chatbots can handle a large number of queries at once, eliminating the need for delays as your business grows. Whichever channel a query comes in from, it should end up in the same place as every other lead — a CRM that puts web forms, email and social enquiries into one pipeline is what stops a promising comment from getting lost.
5. Fix image size
When it comes to social media images, one common blunder we see businesses make is using the wrong ones. There are many times when businesses have paid to get an image designed, but the end product is only in a single resolution. Consequently, they attempt to utilize the same graphic across all of their social media channels. When it comes to organic content, each platform has a different image sizing.
6. The Golden rule
Assume the role of a role model for others. Want to be recognized? Acknowledge those who have helped you out. Do you desire to be accorded courtesy? Respond courteously. Do you want people to spread ideas rather than advertisements? Insights, not promotions, should be shared. You’ve got the gist of it. Take control of your life and become the person and brand you wish others were. That was easy, wasn’t it? This is so obvious that we tend to overlook it.
Blog written by Aman Jain