If used the right way, social media can be a great tool for your organization. Here are a handful of social media marketing rules that can help if you’re considering entering into this field. Social media marketing is something that just about every company is aware of today. Many businesses utilize the power of social media. However, there are still some businesses that do not. Businesses that incorporate social media within their marketing plans do so because billions of people use it worldwide. Furthermore, social media is a great way to cultivate and maintain relationships with both prospects and customers alike.
It should go without saying, but it helps to have a presence on social media no matter your industry. However, if you don’t know how to use social media, it’s very easy to misuse and create big problems. Furthermore, said problems typically spells out trouble for you. This is why I wrote this post on five core social media marketing rules that every business should follow. So, without further adieu, here are five social media marketing rules that can help you conquer the field.
5 Key Social Media Marketing Rules
Stay away from controversial topics
If you’re not careful, social media can cause a lot of damage to your reputation. This typically occurs when your organization ventures into risky territories such as:
- Politics
- Religion
- Social Issues
Remember that you’re using social media for professional reasons, not your own individual benefit. When your business sends out a message on social media, it represents your entire organization. Furthermore, you’re affirming or declaring a belief about a certain topic about which some people may have strong feelings.
When posting on controversial issues such as Black Lives Matter, gun violence, etc. make sure you don’t alienate potential customers. It is totally within your power to talk about sensitive topics. However, you also need to be mindful of the potential ramifications that come with opening the proverbial can of worms.
Only use the right social media platforms for your business
You need to select the best platforms once you decide to employ social media as part of your marketing strategy. There are dozens of potential options out there, some of which include:
- YouTube
The above are just some of the more well-known platforms. However, there are countless other options out there! You cannot maintain a strong presence on all platforms without spreading yourself too thin. Thus, it is essential to select a handful of platforms and own them.
Content creation is another reason why you only want to establish yourself on a select handful of platforms. Profiles will be useless if you ignore them and allow them to become stagnant. Creating content takes time and you’ll need to have a well-staffed team to complete the task. In that respect, social media costs both time and money.
Another reason why you want to limit your social media presence is that not everybody uses every platform. It is critical that you develop and maintain a strong presence on the platforms your target audience uses. For instance, Millennials are big fans of Facebook, whereas Gen-Z’ers aren’t so much.
You will likely have to do some market research in order to identify which platforms best suit your desired outcomes.
Hire the right content creators who know social media marketing rules
It is essential that you seek out and hire the right team to create your social media content. Depending on the number of social profiles your organization has, you may just need to hire one social media manager. However, if you have a plethora of accounts in need of management, you may need to hire an entire team. Regardless of your hiring outcomes, it is vital that every new hire knows the core rules of social media marketing.
You also need to have at least one individual who understands your company’s values and overall branding message. If your company is playful, then your social posts should reflect that tone. If you’re more serious, then your social media messaging should be as well.
You can easily find great content creators on platforms such as Indeed and LinkedIn. However, it is important to remember that this profession didn’t exist a decade or so ago. However, there are many individuals out there who have mastered the craft these days.
Take your candidates for a test drive and have them write a few sample posts. Doing so gives you an idea as to whether they possess the skills and experience that you currently seek. From there, you should then create a short-list and then hire based on experience and salary requirements.
Post on a regular basis
You must develop and stick to a strict posting schedule. If you plan to use Twitter, sending out a Tweet every coup9le of weeks simply will not cut it. You have to schedule several tweets (at least 2-3) every day in order to have an impact.
It is also important that you post enough, but not too often…it’s a tricky balance. If you post 20x per day, you’re likely overdoing it and you’ll send your followers away in droves. I’m personally a big fan of Agorapulse for both social scheduling and analytics.
Interact with your followers
Last, but not least, interact with your followers when they reach out to you! One of the major goals of social media is to bridge the gap between your organization and your customers. You also want to show that you genuinely care about your customers and that you want their input. Social media is without question one of the best ways to accomplish both of these goals. Customers may want to discuss a product or service you provide via social media. With this in mind, it is essential that you are ready to do so at all times.
It is a great idea to instruct your social media team to respond to customer inquiries as quickly as possible. Doing so shows that you legitimately care about them. Engaging with customers via social media also develops a sense of inclusion and trust between customers and your company.
Closing Thoughts on Social Media Marketing Rules
If your company doesn’t already have a social media presence yet, you’re falling behind the curve. Customers and would-be customers won’t see you as a modern company unless you get on social media asap.
