The 5 Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media Marketing

By 21st July 2014 No Comments

Social media marketing has become a very important part of the overall marketing campaign these days. Although the concept of social media is as old as 25 years, be it in a different form.

In common terms, social media is all about forming relationships and sharing views. In the 1990s, there came discussion boards, called as internet relay chat that can be recognized as a form of social media only. But, these platforms were not that popular or easy to use as today’s social media portals like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

Now, let’s jump to the launch of Facebook in 2004, Twitter in 2006, and LinkedIn in 2003. When these social networks were first introduced, no one ever imagined that they would impact the world this way or would come up as such successful tools for business marketing. With millions of active users with Facebook having over 1 billion, the highest of all, these channels can prove to be very beneficial for your business. But, certain things need to be taken care of while promoting any business through these portals.

Let us take a look at the do’s and don’ts of social media marketing.

Do’s:

#1 Have a plan ready before you start
You should have a strategized plan before you start social media marketing. For instance, what class of audience you will be targeting? Only if you know your targeted customers, you can customize your page according to them and your marketing efforts will give results. If you’ll be designing your page based on your own personal interests, you won’t be able to relate to them.

#2 Build a strong network
Use social media platforms to build a strong network and relationships and not just broadcast. Relationships yield results. Simply broadcasting the content will gradually bore the followers and they can unfollow you. Also, be smart in choosing the network(s) that positively work out for you.

#3 Be original and consistent
The posts should be original and highly creative such that they make you stand out in the competition. The post should convey the business message effectively and enhance your brand value.

#4 Be a good listener
Hear what people are talking about you, if they have anything to say to you and never ignore their complaints. Try to address their issues effectively. This will enhance their trust in your brand.

#5 Be Engaging
Communicate regularly with your audience and try to provide engaging content and attractive media. It will help gaining attention of users and keep them interested in your brand.

Don’ts:

#1 Build your network on a fast track mode
Building your network too rapidly can lend you in the spam zone and have you banned from the social media website. Things take time; you just need to be a bit patient.

#2 Rely on one network
Each social media network has its pros and cons. Relying on one network can make you lose potential opportunities the other networks might be providing.

#3 Be too promotional
Being too promotional in every post can drive away the users. Try to relate to the customers, instead simply promoting your business.

#4 Like your own posts
Don’t ever like your own posts. It only makes you look foolish. It is quite obvious that you like your post; this is why you posted it. However, you can always inspire your employees to share and like the posted content.

#5 Automate too much
Too much automation will not allow you to connect to your audience. If it sounds like a computer is speaking, you’ll lose the personal touch. It is recommendable that you personalize your brand to enhance the engagement.
Although, some of the above tips may sound too obvious, in the rapidly changing world of social media, mistakes can have a significant effect on your campaign. Thus, it is important that a planned and careful approach is carried out for social media marketing too.