Social media is still yet to prove itself as truly viable means to market a business for instant profits. However, from a branding perspective we all know it will always have the power to make or break. And can do so in pretty short time.
You’ll find a lot of resources out there telling you exactly what you should be doing with your social media accounts. This isn’t that kind of post.
Today, I’m going to share what you should not be doing if you want to grow and maintain a profitable enterprise online (this includes brick-and-mortar businesses too!)
Time to take all of you to social media etiquette class:
1. It Isn’t all About Shameless Self-Promotion
It’s been said at least a billion times now at least. Still, “Stop constantly promoting yourself” has to go on this list of social media things not to do. Why? Because the majority of businesses, particularly new businesses, still make this faux pas every day. Only after seeing thousands of people rescind their follows do social managers begin to realize that nobody on the planet has any reason to follow you if you’re going to stick an offer in their face multiple times a day.
Unless you’re pushing heavily discounted iPhone 6’s through an auction site or something similar, stick with Pareto’s 80/20 rule and spend more time offering an education or some entertainment to your followers.
Or Unless you’re a world-renowned entertainment brand!
2. Posting/Sharing Controversial Content
You have to be really careful about everything you post. Somewhere along the line in the last few years, a lot of companies have embraced National Enquirer’s mentality of using shock value to get more likes and shares, and ultimately draw more attention to their brand. The problem is that it can make your brand look like a geeky dunce instead of a total stud.
A good example would be something like posting a link to one of those all-too-typical motivational videos on YouTube complete with profanity and belittling language, that while meant to inspire most people can actually insult several who watch. Not everything is so obviously offensive and requires some forethought before it’s posted.
3. Policing Every Negative Comment
This is social suicide. Don’t think because you post a warning saying you’ll delete negative comments that that’ll make it okay. The community will surely revolt after you erase comments about your poor service, or poor-quality products that fall apart soon after delivery. Instead, you need to address such attacks with dignity and language that shows you’re committed to resolutions instead of just brushing the problem under the mat and hoping it won’t resurface.
Say something simple, even slightly generic like “We’re so sorry to hear about your experience. Can you contact us at ‘555-654-9887’ with your issue, so we can make you a happy customer again?” Then follow through with whatever you promise, or you’ll have even more social fallout on your hands.
Deleting negative comments will only lead to more negative comments, and you can only run from a tornado for so long before it catches up to you!
4. Stop Automating Everything
This is social media, not SEO in 2009! Imagine the responses you’d get if you spent all day walking around the subway in your city and approaching everyone you see with “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to talking with you and helping you in any way possible.” First, who talks that way any how? But, I digress, automation makes you sound robotic at best and like a complete moron at the worst possible time. Consider the automated post from American airlines awhile back:
They auto-responded to a post making a wise-crack about how they previously auto-responded to a negative comment by thanking that person for their support! A real and true social media blunder that’ll make it to the top of “top 10” lists for years to come!
5. Content Should Have a Positive Tone
From a business branding standpoint, you always want to appear positive to your audience. Only in a monopoly will customers “put up with” a negative personality at the helm of a business. Negative content, if shared, will get negative comments from those who view it and since your brand posted it, you’ll be forever (or for a long time) branded with the anger, shame, or indifference it inspires. Whether it’s content, a promotional post, or a response to a follower’s post, think very carefully before putting it out there.
That goes double if you find yourself posting in anger!
Nobody has the secret to being a perfect social brand. It could take a hundred years or more to make that kind of headway in social media marketing. What you’ve learned on this page will at least help you NOT destroy your business on the path to greatness and boundless profit!
Main Image Credit: Apionid/Flickr
