Social media is a significant part of everyone’s lives now. Nearly every adult in the US spends some time on a social network whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or LinkedIn.
There are many reasons why someone might spend time on these social networks, but some of the top reasons include sharing information about businesses, whether it’s about co-workers, how their working day has gone, or a customer service experience.
At the same time, you’re probably engaged in some form of social media marketing. This is good. It helps with SEO and growing awareness of your business.
But that doesn’t mean it’s always good. A strong aspect about social media is the sharing of content. If it’s positive, you win. If it’s negative, it can really affect your business. Some businesses have even shut down because of a social media backlash.
You have to be careful how you manage your social media profile. So here are some quick tips to help you.
All employees should know what they can and can’t share about your business online. This should be a written policy that they sign to say they’ve read it and that they know about the consequences should they break a rule.
The person who manages your social media content should also have a supervisor to ensure all content published is suitable. Even something little as a spelling mistake can make the difference between customers liking your content or not.
Programs like Hootsuite can actually help here and it doesn’t cost too much, but it does ensure your professionalism is portrayed correctly on social media.
If someone mentions your brand on social media, you should be quick to respond to their comment. It could be something as simple as a thank you, or it could be a serious problem your customer service team needs to deal with.
Surveys have found that customers assume brands will respond within one to two hours of a comment on social media. So this is something to consider.
Do you know what the most successful brands on social media have? They have a content plan. This is what they are publishing, when and why. Create a plan for your social media manager to follow. It helps them focus efforts and stops quick updates being published that are full of mistakes.
Do You Use Social Media?
With so many businesses on social media these days, it’s unlikely that you’re not using it. However, being on social media and using it right are two very different things. Ensure your brand is being portrayed for its professionalism, as it should be, by not falling for some of the common mistakes as listed above.
Do you have a social media plan? Is there one person who manages your social media for you?
Let us know in the comments below.
Image from Pixabay