11 new people start using social media every second. Social media has taken the world by storm, and every new platform that pops up is a new opportunity to get your name out there.
In 2022, a professional social media account is a must-have for any business owner. Running one isn’t as easy as it seems, however. We’ve compiled a list of “dos and don’ts” that can help you out.
Read on before you start your social media marketing venture.
When you commit to running a professional social media page, you also commit to posting regularly. How often you post will depend on your preferences, your niche, and the social media platforms that you’re using, but you should be consistent.
Some businesses choose to post every day while others space out their posts throughout the week. Some will post “stories” daily while their main page is post-free for several days at a time.
There’s no right or wrong way to do this, and you may have to make adjustments after seeing how your current posts are doing. Your goal is to stay in front of your followers’ eyes.
This is a tough one for many people to deal with, but it’s also important. You need to learn how to respond properly to negative reviews and comments. There are some situations in which deleting them can be appropriate, but the majority of the time it’s best to leave the reviews up.
You should respond to negative reviews and comments with compassion and kindness. If the review talks about a negative experience with the company, offer a solution or bring the conversation into private messages.
Some people will post negative things just to be inflammatory. This is a different situation. If talking to the person doesn’t help, ignoring or deleting their comments may be appropriate.
If the person is saying something racist, homophobic, sexist, or otherwise inappropriate, deleting their comments can protect other followers.
You can hire a professional to take care of negative reviews, but doing it yourself can be tricky.
Never try to take the “social” out of “social media.” This may be business social media, but it’s still important to focus on engagement. But why?
First, engagement makes your followers feel seen. If they’re asking you questions and you’re ignoring them, they may be inclined to look elsewhere for products and services.
They may also like it if you repost their content or comment on it. This isn’t applicable to all businesses, but if you run a clothing store, for example, you may repost customer photos to your story.
This shows other followers that people enjoy your products.
Engagement is also good for increasing your follower count. It makes you more likely to show up in the algorithm. You can boost engagement by asking for comments, asking questions, and responding to followers.
When you’re browsing through your competitor’s social media pages, you may be tempted to copy some of their successful posts. Don’t do this! Your followers will notice.
What you can (and should) do, however, is to take inspiration from both your competitors and other businesses outside of your niche. Taking inspiration means that you may be using some of their ideas, but you’re making them your own. You need to be creative!
While you shouldn’t copy, you should follow social media trends (especially on apps like Instagram and TikTok that rely on trends to boost content).
Pay attention to current trends online. Look for common themes, challenges, and songs that a lot of accounts are using all at once. Try to get into the trend early.
If you spend too much time planning a new post, you may miss the trend entirely. While you may still get engagement, it won’t be as effective. Often, by the time you know a trend is happening, you only have a day or so to take advantage of it!
This means that you need to keep your finger on the pulse of social media.
There are so many social media platforms that you could be using to build your brand. You’ll be tempted to be on every single one, but this isn’t a good use of your time (especially early on).
Who is your target audience? Where do they spend their time? This is an important factor to keep in mind when you’re deciding where you should post your content.
You can start expanding beyond the “basic” social media platforms once you have a stronger grasp on how to keep up with your content calendar, but if you over-extend yourself from the start, you may burn out or get less consistent.
One quick tip that can help you avoid social media burnout is to reuse your content. You can post things on several platforms at a time which will reduce your overall effort.
When you’re running a social media page, you need to focus on your brand voice and overall brand image. This is what customers and followers are going to associate with you.
What does your brand voice “sound” like? Is it authoritative and professional? What about casual and friendly?
Whatever it is, it should come through in all of your content.
Do you have a specific color scheme or graphic design style? These things also matter. Consistency will let your followers and customers know what to expect and it will make your brand more memorable.
Running a professional social media account requires a bit more work and attention than a personal one, but with these tips, you’ll be well on your way to having a ton of followers (and hopefully plenty of customers as well).
Remember: your social media account is the face of your business. Take it seriously!
At SMB Hub, we help small business owners expand their reach with digital marketing. If you’re ready to work with us, contact us today!
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