Don’t Ignore Your Social Media Responsibilities

Writing by Brick Marketing in Social Media

Initially, businesses were hesitant to get involved with social media. It seemed like it just may be a fad (clearly not the case) and it was scary because it involved putting a lot of information “out there” and allowed customers/clients/prospects to have some say in how the brand was perceived. However, over time, it became clear that the businesses that took advantage of social media and knew how to use it were seeing significant advantages. Not only does social media involvement promote brand loyalty and increase brand awareness, it can also have an impact on your search presence since social signals are now included as a part of the ranking algorithm. More businesses are getting involved with social media, but many still aren’t “getting it”. In order to reap the benefits of social media, it takes a lot more than merely setting up a page and checking in every once in awhile when time allows. If you are a business that is just starting out in social media, or a business that isn’t seeing any results from social media, be sure not to ignore these crucial responsibilities:

Set a strategy
Jumping into social media blindly without doing any research or taking the time to understand how it works for business can be worse than not being involved in social media at all. A business needs to decide which social networks will be the most beneficial, how frequently pages will be updated, who’s in charge, who will be contributing content, and what the tone/voice of the social presence will be. What’s right for your business in social media will vary from what works for other businesses. A strategy can be revised as you get more comfortable and learn but it’s important to have that starting foundation.

Share relevant content
What will you be sharing with your social media following? It’s OK to share the work of others and re-tweet items that you find interesting, but you should also be sharing your own original content so that followers actually get to know your business and what you offer.

Stay active
Social profiles appear prominently in a branded search. If people are looking for more information about your brand, it’s likely that they will browse your social pages. If your last post/tweet was from months ago, it’s unprofessional. It also neglects your current fans/followers.

Join the community
Social media is about being social and it’s often referred to as “social networking” for a reason. It’s important to put yourself out there and use social media to connect with likeminded people in the industry or in related industries. In addition to sharing your own content, share the work of others to get noticed by them. This could lead to new business opportunities down the road.

Be smart
So many businesses have made terrible social media gaffes over the years. This has mostly been the result of carelessness and putting the social account into the hands of the wrong people. Social media is instant and there are no take backs. Think twice before posting anything and if the suggested post is remotely questionable, don’t share it.

Respond to inquiries
Like it or not, social media has become a customer service tool. Instead of writing an email, calling customer service, or filling out a service review card, people now post their thoughts/questions/concerns on a public social media page. Businesses need to take the time to respond to these inquiries. All of them. Ignoring customer feedback is a sure way to not only lose current customers but to lose out on potential business as well.