Social media is arguably one of the most important tools you can utilise as a business.

But just like most things, there are right and wrong ways to use it. In this article we will be discussing the best practices you need to know when using social media for business use and how to avoid the few very common mistakes that businesses make.

Making the right first impression

It is far easier to ensure that you make the right first impression as a business, rather than spending time trying to fix the wrong one. Word of mouth marketing can work to your advantage as long as you make the right impression on social media. It only takes one bad experience or dissatisfied customer to ruin an entire marketing plan which is why it is so crucial that you make sure the impression you make needs to be the right one.

A unified marketing message

Social media should not be seen as a standalone method in your overall marketing plan. With this in mind, you should ensure that you have a unified marketing message. Every marketing tool that you use should drive your business towards the same goal. Social media can be used for branding but don’t let that be all you use social media for.

Strategy

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you have to use every social media marketing platform that is available and definitely don’t use them without having a clear strategy to what you are doing. What is the aim of the social media platforms you are using? Do you want to build a database of clients to call? Are you wanting to just get your name out there? Do you want to launch a new product? You need to know exactly why you’re using social media and for what purpose(s).

Know where your audience is

There are endless amounts of social media platforms to choose from and they all have a different audience and serve a different purpose. Knowing not only what your target audience is but also which sites they populate is crucial. Take the time to research which social media platform(s) your target audience are likely to spend the most time on. Twitter is not the only answer and it is most definitely not the right answer for everybody.

Engaging your audience

It may be tempting to sell through social media and to an extent that is ok, but social media should be primarily used to build your reputation, to build relationships with your customers and to give them information they can use. Selling is never the first part of any effective social media marketing plan. You should aim to provide good quality content that is authentic, genuinely helpful and provides value. Of course if you are utilising paid advertising features then you can sell (but that’s another topic for another time).

Sharing too often

Nobody likes being spammed by email, so why would it be different on social media? When you post too often on social media, people tend to stop paying attention to what you are saying. You want people to pay attention to what you have to say, to engage with your posts and not to roll their eyes and scroll past.

Reputation management

Using social media to build a strong, well-liked brand can do much more than just help to sell your products or services. Strong brands with a loyal following cultivated by engaging your followers can help you to bounce back from negative comments or reviews your company has received.

If you are new to using social media for your business, it’s best to start out with just one platform that is used most by your customers. You need to ensure that the platform is appropriate for your business. The key to building a strong brand is to focus on building great relationships with your clients. Listen to their needs, wants and concerns and use this as ideas for what to post on social media. People are ten times more likely to invest in your business if they have faith and trust in you.

For more social media advice, you can sign up to attend our FREE live web-class, hosted every Thursday at 7:30pm by Adam Stott – CEO and Founder of Big Business Events. To reserve your space on this training, please click here.