Common-sense social media tips

Common-sense social media tips

Which network?

There are many different networks, each with their own pros and cons. Spend some time looking at the various options and listening to the online chatter, and assess what suits your business. Where are your customers most likely to be? Does LinkedIn make more sense for you than Facebook?

Where’s the value?

Participate where you can add the most value. Do not just try and be everywhere and likewise do not just stay within your own domains.

Be flexible

Keep flexible and aware. Technology is constantly changing and just because certain networks suit your business today does not mean they will necessarily be the right choices in three months’ time. Look out for key customer trends and where relevant, use them to your advantage.

Who are you?

Develop an online style. Become “human” online with a tone of voice and brand personality; but be true to you. You need a coherent message on your website, through social media, in advertising and in person. Think of your audience. If you are selling kids’ toys for example, is a corporate tone of voice appropriate? If you are selling luxury items is it appropriate to be relaxed and jokey or will this impact on perceived professionalism? Put yourself in the shoes of your customers.

It’s all about the strategy

Have a communication strategy; a framework that covers off how you plan on using the channels you decide to be involved in. This should look at frequency of comms, how to deal with specific queries, who to escalate to, what should be deleted (if anything) and how to deal with public complaints. It is very important that the people responsible for delivering the social media strategy fully understand the communication strategy. A joined-up approach is very important for a business, however small.

Do I have enough resources?

Think about your resources carefully. Do you have the resource to keep up the level of content you are planning? Do you have the resources to deal with feedback in real time? Do your team understand the communication strategy? Will any training be required to ensure consistency in approach and understanding of various networks? How will you monitor work vs. personal time on social media?

Technology barriers

Do you have the technology to support your strategy? Are there any firewalls that could prevent access? Who do you want to have access to the sites? Could this cause internal conflict?

Take part

Within the networks you decide to join, do not just listen – that will not get you noticed. Do not just sell – that will get you ignored. Find a balance between offering advice, recognising others’ contributions, sharing content and telling people about yourself. The balance will vary depending on the network so make sure you take the time to sense and respect the norm.

What’s too much?

Do not swamp people. Content is king but overload is not! The definition of “swamp” will vary across networks. For example, in a single day people would expect to see more than just you on their Facebook home page. Twitter is different. Because it is constantly moving, followers like information to be shared as long as it is relevant and interesting and therefore you could post a bit more if you wanted.

What are your competitors doing?

See what your competitors are doing and try and get a sense of how you can improve on it. Look at customer comments and what they are asking for. Assess what appears to work for others in your marketplace by looking at customer interactions and use it to your advantage. There is no point in starting right from the very beginning if you do not have to.

Can you handle the truth?

Be prepared for feedback, whether you ask for it or not. One of the best things about social media is the ability to hear customer feedback in real time. This is something many are afraid of but actually they should embrace. In order to build a community online you need to know what you do well and what you could improve, what people like about you and what they don’t, what you have above competitors and where you lack. Treat this information as gold dust. Respond to feedback honestly and publicly, in line with your communication strategy.

Be polite

Thank people publicly. If people say nice things about you and your products, thank them. Engage with them so they know you appreciate their business and opinion. They are more likely to praise you again if they think they will get recognition in return.

Sarah Bale is an expert contributor to Marketing Donut and marketing manager at Simpleweb.

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