Checking your phone when someone is talking to you. Calling your date by your ex’s name. Try as we might, we all commit the occasional social faux pas. But on social media, they can seriously impact your business—increasing your exposure in all the wrong ways.
The wealth of social media options at your fingertips presents new opportunities to portray your business in a flattering light—or an unfortunate one. To help to optimize your exposure on social media and avoid any embarrassing stumbles, here are some simple do’s and don’ts you can follow.
Do pick a medium that suits your services
Facebook. Snapchat. Twitter. Instagram. Today’s social media landscape offers countless ways to connect with prospective customers. A successful social media campaign is typically launched through one or two key channels. So how do you choose?
The first step is to determine who you’re trying to reach. Consider your target customer’s age, income, education level, gender, and the interests they may have outside of your services.
Speaking of your services, what do they entail? If your business creates aesthetic experiences—such as a florist shop or clothing brand—then you may want to consider a visual medium, like Instagram. If you own a bookstore, you might decide to share quotes from authors on Twitter.
When you’ve established your target demographic and company strengths, it’s easier to determine which content to showcase and on which channel to broadcast it. But…
Don’t stick strictly to business
You created a social media profile to promote your business, and users know that’s what it’s for. But don’t forget to make it look like a pleasure!
While it’s perfectly reasonable, and even advisable, to use your social media account to advertise your upcoming sale or new collection, that doesn’t have to be all you share. Behind-the-scenes peeks and other fun content can help establish a connection with your audience and build brand loyalty.
People often use social media as an escape from the stresses of daily life. If you share nothing but formal or sales-oriented statuses, this may eventually bore or bother your audience, so don’t be afraid to change things up occasionally.
Do share at strategic times
There’s a time and a place for everything, including social media posts.
Think about how members of your target demographic spend their time. If they’re mostly high school students, for example, it may not be wise to post between the hours of 8am and 3pm on weekdays, or on Friday and Saturday nights when they’re out with their friends. If your audience consists largely of working professional, catching them during their commute is often a great time to grab their attention.
The best time to post varies by channel as well as by demographic. By experimenting on your chosen channel, it should quickly become clear which time slots garner the most likes and shares, and which leave your content sitting idle.
Don’t forget to be social
It may be your company’s social media account, but it shouldn’t be all about your company. Unlike a reality show contestant, you’re here to make friends.
Interact with followers in the comments section, follow other companies, and like and share their posts (while giving them credit, of course!). This will go a long way toward building strong relationships, as well as a distinct brand voice.
Creating and nurturing the social media accounts for your company is a smart step toward increasing your leads, growth, and longevity. Liqui-Site can help you do it right. For help creating a social media strategy that takes your company’s exposure to the next level, contact us today.
