The constant evolution of social media can make it difficult to stay on top of social media etiquette and best practices, especially if you’re an entrepreneur who has a million other things to attend to. When it comes to social media etiquette for business, it takes practice to fully get a grasp on how these tips apply to your day-to-day execution.
Here are 14 social media DON’TS when it comes to social media etiquette for businesses:
DON’T: Have one social media page for your personal and business account
Sounds pretty obvious right? Not always, especially when you prefer convenience over compromise. Remember to set up completely new social media pages for your business the moment you decide to enter the world of social media. You should use your personal account to share your perspective and information about your life, which should not be connected to your business.
DON’T: Post whenever you want / can
There’s a method to the madness! If you don’t manage and create a schedule for posting, you could miss out on opportunities. Consider investing in a platform scheduler, such as Later or Buffer to help you with planning your content out. Doing so will allow you to be consistent and grow your digital presence more efficiently.
DON’T: Forget to use social media holidays
Being able to keep on top of news and trends is what makes a great social media marketer. Celebrating social media holidays can help you increase brand awareness and reach. Sharing hashtag holiday-themed content can also help to engage your audience. Get creative with it and be sure to only utilize holidays that are relevant to your business.
DON’T: Dismiss engaging with others and encouraging engagement
Engagement is a crucial indicator of social media success. In fact, 64 percent of marketers said that increasing engagement is vital for a social media marketing strategy. Social media is a two-way street. You must cultivate a community by being involved and creating content like polls and calls-to-action to get them involved too.
DON’T: Ignore the power of video content
Video content on platforms like Instagram and Facebook is dominating social media audiences’ interest. This can be snippets of your brand, product, or story, or going live. In one research, it was proven that live videos are viewed three times longer than pre-recorded videos. You can also repurpose lives into other snippets of video content to share across your platforms.
DON’T: Fall for Trolls
It’s easy to fall victim to rude or patronizing comments, but it is not worth putting your business’s reputation at stake. This goes back to keeping personal and business thoughts separate. Treat your audiences with excellent customer service.
DON’T: Use excessive amounts of hashtags
Hashtags are there to accentuate the post, not overtake it. While they are helpful in getting more exposure to a post or a page, it is possible to go overboard. It’s even been found that tweets with more than three hashtags get 17 percent less engagement. But this hashtag problem isn’t limited to Twitter, so be aware of your usage.
DON’T: Post too much promotional content
Social media posts should fall under one of these four categories: education, relatability, entertainment, and promotion. If there is not a balance between these, then you could be missing the target of your marketing goals. Remember that social media is not for ads unless you are utilizing digital ad space.
DON’T: Forget to do a spelling and grammar check
Nothing ruins a post and brand credibility more than improper grammar and spelling. Avoiding this is as simple as proofreading your content before it goes out. Applications like Grammarly can make it even easier by catching the mistakes for you.
DON’T: Overuse emojis, caps, and punctuations
Have you ever seen a social media post that was so busy you had to scroll past it? Not only is excessive use of emojis, caps, and punctuations visually alarming, but it can also distract from the message you are wanting to convey. Always be aware of how others could perceive your posts and the role aesthetic plays in your business.
DON’T: Share without researching first
Social media has made it easy to quickly share content from other accounts. With tidal waves of content and information coming in at all times, it’s easy to forget that some things come from questionable sources. Before you share or retweet, first check out the account that shared the information and do your own research.
DON’T: Obsess about the numbers
It’s important to remember what your long-term goals are for social media: brand awareness and growing your network. Don’t get caught up in the likes and comments of posts. While it’s great to have engagement, it’s all about quality over quantity. So stress less about all the numbers and concentrate on providing the content your audience needs.
DON’T: Forget to give credit where credit is due
It’s okay to share others' posts and even repost on your own platforms. It is not okay to post without giving the original creator credit. Stay on the right side of social media etiquette by attributing the source somewhere within your post. On the flip side, if someone does it with your content, be sure to thank those who mention or retweet you. You can make great connections when you respect others.
DON’T: Post on remembrance holidays or during tragedies
Be mindful of posting on certain days that could come off as insensitive to others. Days like Memorial Day, for example, should be reserved for respect, not promoting your business. This is a simple but thoughtful move on your business’s part.
While this list may seem like a lot of tips to remember, having well-run social media pages comes down to making thoughtful and strategic decisions to benefit and align with your business's marketing strategy.
So, consider these thoughts to lead you down the path of social media marketing success.
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