Do's & Don'ts for your Business Social Media

Do’s

1. Analyze your data
   • Analyzing your data is very important to see what does and doesn’t work on your social media channels. From engagements, to reach, and even followers… all of these things are crucial to making sure that you are doing the right things to attract your audience.
     • Engagement rates will tell you what type of posts work with your audience and which do not. Is your goal as a brand to get the most interaction with your followers? If this is the case, engagement will mean a lot to you. Having a super large following isn’t always beneficial if the engagements are not there. But, this can also vary from business to business… maybe your goal is driving traffic to your website, if that’s the case, the engagement rate might be a bit lower. 
     • Reach will show you how many people your content has touched. This comes from followers sharing your posts, commenting on them, and also liking them. The more you respond to comment on your posts, the larger the reach will be… we will talk more about this in a bit. 
     • Paying attention to the amount of followers you have, and also what demographics they fall into are important. Are your followers within your target market? Does social media bring you a new market that you didn’t think your business was reaching? These things are important to look at to make sure that the content you’re creating is attractive to those who see it most. 
2. Keep consistent branding
   
   • Your branding should stay consistent throughout your social media channels and tie into your website branding. Things to consider are: 
     • Keeping your profile images consistent across platforms. Something that we recommend for this is using your logo with a clean background. This will help to tie your social media pages to your website & print branding and make everything look neat and professional. 
     • Keep color schemes similar. Most brands have a set of guidelines that should be followed, even on social media. Sometimes this rule can stretch a bit if you are posting, per say, a holiday post. But, keeping a consistent theme to your channels helps to keep your pages attractive. 
     • Use a calendar to plan. One of the easiest ways to make sure that your content is consistent is by using a calendar. This way, you can see further out than the current week for what should be posted and how one post will flow into the next. 
     • Recycle content. Do you have an email blast going out with a cool graphic? Push it out on your social media pages too & while you’re at it, toss it on your website if it makes sense to do so. Doing this will assist in helping the consumer remember your brand and message. With multiple different touch points, someone will be more likely to look into what you’re attempting to tell them. 
3. Make sure you’re promoting the right things
   
   • Make sure that you are aiming for your goals with social media posts. Are you interested in getting website traffic? Make sure you add a link into your posts so it’s easy for someone to navigate there. Want more engagement? Post captions that will draw in your followers and make them want to respond. Keeping consistent with your goals will help you to realize if you are posting the right content on social media. 
4. Include visuals in every post
   
   • Including visuals in your posts is a MUST. There is so much content constantly going out on social media, that if you post only words, your information will get lost. Whether it’s an image, video, gif, or graphic, add it to your posts! 
5. Interact with your followers
   
   • Interacting with your followers is so important. Not only will it make them feel great, it will also make you look more like a reputable brand. This can include liking their posts, responding to comments, showing appreciation when they leave you a positive review, and quickly responding to messages.  

Don’ts 

1. Post to every social media platform 
   
   • There are SO MANY different social media platforms out there and you DO NOT need to be on every single one. Different platforms have different audiences and different uses. Make sure you research the platform before you decide to sign up for it. If your target audience doesn’t have a heavy presence on the platform, you probably don’t need it.
2. Post just to post
   
   • Make sure your posts have a purpose. Again, this goes along with following your goals. If you are posting just to get something out there, then you aren’t posting for the right reasons. If you feel like you aren’t posting enough, then re-evaluate your goals for social media and go from there. 
3. Overdo it 
   
   • This one kind of goes along with posting just to post. You do not need to post a bunch of times in a single day on your social media pages. In fact, we have found that posting a lot will assist in losing followers. Posting multiple times in a day can also decrease post engagement and interest in your brand. 
4. Get hung up on analytics
   
   • Social media analytics are great and they are definitely something that you should pay attention to. But, don’t get hung up on the numbers. Social media is something that is always changing. With all of the content that people digest daily, their interests can easily change. Another thing to remember is that platforms are ALWAYS changing their algorithms, so if you have a huge reach last month and you see a sharp decrease this month, don’t worry. Looking at the big picture with social media analytics is more important than month over month. 
5. Post super opinionated things
   
   • Does the opinion of what you’re posting represent your brand or yourself? Keep this in mind when you are posting. Something to always keep in mind is only post it if the CEO of the company would post the same thing. If not, it’s best to keep it in the drafts.