Is Our Social Media Plan Destined to Fail?
Social media is a vital component of any business’s plan of action these days.
It may even be taking the place of traditional marketing strategies, but just like with the traditional methods, you’ve got to use it in the right way.
If your social media plan is being wrongly used, you could be on the path to disaster.
Here’s a list of some of the “don’ts” of social media, and we’ll turn those into “do’s.”
1. Don’t post all the time.
It’s important to post consistently, whether from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or a combination of social media outlets.
However, keep your posts to a practical amount. Your followers don’t want to see notices every hour or even multiple times a day.
Sure, you may have something witty or smart to say, but an overabundance of these can be a real turn off to your followers and customers. Instead, post on a regular, consistent, limited basis.
2. Don’t forget to post.
On the other side of the coin, never posting can be just as bad.
You’ll become a forgotten part of social media and miss out on your readers looking forward to and anticipating your updates.
Just as people look forward (or used to) to getting that magazine in the mail on a certain day, they’ll like your consistent, reliable posts.
3. Don’t ramble or make irrelevant posts.
Stream of consciousness and rambling posts are better left elsewhere than your business social media, just as your adorable two year old with peas on his face or your cat in a tutu should stay on your personal social media sites. Keep your posts related to your business, or some aspect of it.
If you work in non-profit, post that. If you’ve won an industry award, feel free to share. Keep it related and your readers will thank you.
4. Don’t be negative.
Everyone has a bad day and everyone has competition. Keep that to yourself.
Don’t rant on your social media; that will take you down the disaster path pretty quickly.
Don’t bash your colleagues or competitors; it’s one of the best ways to shine a negative light on yourself. If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything.
If you feel your social media plan is harming your company – rethink it.
Are you doing any of the above things? Is your readership/followers/customer base dropping? If so, what can you do?
Maybe changing what you post and how you post can make a difference, or maybe it’s time to seek professional help. No, not therapy, but you could hire a social media director.
If you don’t want to invest in another employee, have a consultant come in for a while to get you on the right path, disaster free. Just as a professional organizer can help get your house in order, a social media consultant can get you going in the right direction.
Social media is a big part of life; you almost can’t run a company without it.
Make sure it’s helping you, though, or you’ll need to adjust your methods so it will.
About the Author: Heather Legg writes on a variety of topics including social media, small business and Gary Crittenden.
Image Credit: social media marketing.
Posted in Social Networking. Tags: fail, social media plan, social media tips
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