Naomi GoldbergUsing social media to grow your business doesn’t mean just opening a corporate Facebook page. Follow our 10 commandments below to master social media for small businesses in 2015
1. Thou shalt not join every social channel
Nobody has the time or the energy to be on every social channel, so don’t waste your energy on places which won’t bring you leads or enhance your brand reputation.
2. Thou shalt not let the intern run your corporate social media
If you wouldn’t put an intern in charge of your customer service or your PR then you shouldn’t put them in charge of your social media. Your social media is a reflect of your brand, and should be taken seriously.
3. Thou shalt not be spammy
Nobody likes a spammer. Whether it is annoying private messages on Twitter or too many overly promotional posts in all your LinkedIn groups, stop it, now.
4. Thou shalt not be overly promotional
The key to social media for businesses is social listening, not social shouting. There’s no quicker way to lose your followers that talking about yourself all of the time, across all channels.
5. Thou shalt not over-share
If you are running corporate social media then your tone should be professional. Once shared on social media it is pretty much impossible to take back, so if in doubt if something fits your brand image, don’t post it.
6. Thou shalt build your following
Actively go out to look for new followers by following people interested in your competitors, and using hashtags for your industry. Promote your social media through your website and your team email signature.
7. Thou shalt to be professional
Yes, your brand can be fun, but it should also be professional. Do your postings reflect your corporate image, and build on your business goals? If not, you might need a new corporate strategy.
8. Thou shalt be consistent
There’s no point working hard to set up an account with 5,000 followers if you neglect it afterwards. Post consistently to keep your followers interested.
9. Thou shalt think outside of the box
Choose channels that fit with your brand image and where your users or customers are, but work hard to create innovative content for them that will connect them to your brand. Just because a social media account is corporate doesn’t mean it has to be boring.
10. Thou shalt be be responsive
Although this one comes at the end it should probably be the first commandment. Without a response your social media channels become just another PR channel. Use your social media to listen to what people are saying about you, and to help others out. Then social will become a genuine tool for lead generation and brand promotion.
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