Social Media is always evolving and new things are always coming up making it difficult to stay on top of what is or isn’t allowed. Keeping in mind the numerous social media platforms available, as much as most rules may be similar each platform has a set of their own unique  rules and guidelines. As a business owner who uses social media to promote their products or services, it’s important for you to always understand and be aware of social media etiquette to avoid getting flagged or losing customers. With that being said, let us look at the do’s and don’ts of social media marketing.

Do’s For Your Social Media Platforms👍

Let’s start with some of the best practices you can implement for your accounts to boost engagement and increase traffic.

 

  • Complete and update your account

Your accounts’ first impression really matters. Ask yourself, what perception or idea would you like for your visitor to have about your brand or business? A complete and updated account also makes it easier for anyone who passes through your page to get an understanding of what your business is all about. Take a few minutes to thoroughly fill out your profile information not forgetting your contact information as well. Also upload quality photos regularly of your brand and you could as well have a theme for your page to make it look more professional.

 

  • Identify your business goals and match it with the right platform

Each social media platform performs differently for different businesses. You may realize that you get more customers or engagement when you post on Facebook as compared to Instagram or LinkedIn. Your business, the services you offer, the size of your company and your target audience play an important role on the kind of platform you use.

Facebook’s target audience is large and diverse therefore, you are guaranteed to reach a large number of people when you post your content there. It’s also mostly used by B2B businesses. Instagram is popular among women hence the perfect place for retailers. If you are selling jewelry, makeup, gym wear or are in the fashion industry then Instagram would be perfect for you. Make sure to use eye capturing photos and videos on this platform. As for LinkedIn, if you’re in the B2B field this would be the best platform to form professional networks and build your reputation. Lastly, TikTok works best for entertainment businesses.

 

  • Be consistent and responsive

Thanks to technology and the new inventions coming up, it’s now easy to automatically  post on your accounts without having to do it manually using tools like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Canva, Later etc. and it is advised you post at least 1-2 times per day. Now you have no excuse to not post. Remember as you share your posts, do it thoughtfully by keeping your target audience and current followers in mind. Study them and get to understand what they like. Secondly, social media users and pretty much everyone in general find slow responses to be annoying. Make sure you are not part of the annoying group by  responding to messages or comments in less than an hour.

 

  • Use different content formats

Experimenting with different formats will help break your accounts monotony. You can never miss with video content such as tutorials and product reviews but remember all these depend on your business goals and audience. Make use of different features such as IGTV and reels. Infographics come in handy as well especially if you want to break down bulky information or if you want to present data in an interesting way. Lastly, user generated content such as your customers using or reviewing your products is one of the best ways to provide social proof that people are actually loving and using  your stuff.

 

Don’ts Of Social Media👎

There are some practices you should avoid when using social media.

 

  • Spam your followers

Like we mentioned early, it’s important that you stay consistent but this doesn’t mean bombarding your followers with numerous posts at a time. If your posts are the only thing that your followers are seeing on their feed, you will lose your following. This also applies to the LinkedIn and Facebook groups you are in.

 

  • Respond to negative feedback with negativity

Sometimes a problem may arise with your product or services that may upset your audience causing them to respond harshly and criticize your brand. Whatever it is, make sure to respond to their complaints promptly and as much as some comments may be offensive or mean try your best to respond in a kind manner and don’t try to argue with your followers. Assure them that you will get the issue resolved as quickly as possible.

 

  • Ignore analytics and tracking performance📈

It is crucial that you measure your performance so that you can find out what is working, where you can improve, if you are meeting your goals and if you need to change your content strategy. Analytic tools such as Google Analytics or Hootsuite help you track metrics like engagement, traffic, conversion rate etc. You should measure these metrics on a weekly basis. 

 

  • Duplicate your competitors content

No one likes copycats. Yes, it’s a smart move to research your competitors to see what’s working for them but you should implement the ideas you get your own way and make sure it adapts to your brand. Don’t get your account flagged because you are too lazy to create your own content.

If you are looking to improve your businesses’ social media platforms, get in touch with us at Content Authority for your Social Media Marketing needs.

Read more: How To Define Your Target Audience For Better Conversion

 

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