It’s no secret that social media marketing has changed the face of the marketing game. Marketing is no longer a one way medium. Now, it’s a two way street and it’s all about communicating with your audience. Social media is a great way to get in touch with your customers, listen to their wants and needs, and respond to their inquires. However, many businesses are still confused as to the right way to market online using social media. Social media as a whole is a lot more informal than any other form of marketing. But how informal should it be? Remember, even though it’s informal, you’re still using it as a business tool. Therefore, it’s important to keep your target audience in mind and avoid doing anything foolish that might turn them off.
Here are 3 social media etiquette tips:
Separate the personal and the professional
Before setting up a social media profile, decide if it will be used for business or personal purposes. Think about who you will be connecting with on it. For a business profile on Facebook or Twitter it might seem obvious that it will only be used for business purposes. But what if you are the CEO or SVP of marketing of a company? It’s likely that people know who you are and might want to follow or connect with you. If this is the case, be careful. Even though your personal page might have been set up for personal reasons, it has become an extension of your business without that even being the intent. The line between personal and professional can get blurry in the social media space. It’s important to realize this and act accordingly.
Think Twice
Before posting anything on a social media site, think about what you are going to post. Then, think about it again. Make sure that the content is timely or relevant to your target audience’s needs. Make sure that it couldn’t in any way be found offensive. It’s OK to be playful every now and then, but there’s a difference between making someone chuckle and making someone angry. Sometimes there’s only a fine line between the two. If you have any doubt, get a second opinion. Ask your colleagues what they think. If you still aren’t sure, just don’t post it. It’s not worth the risk. Word travels fast in the social media space and even if you delete a post, it’s likely that it’s already been seen and passed along by numerous people.
Interact and Respond
The whole point of social media is to, well, be social. Engage with your target audience by asking them for their input. If someone asks you a question, be sure to respond. If you ignore people it will only frustrate them and cause them to have a negative experience with your brand. You certainly don’t want that to happen. Another great way to get noticed and build your reputation is to share the work of others. It’s a good way to make connections with people in your industry and hopefully they will return the favor someday.
