Navigating your social media pages and platforms for your small business can be tricky. And with millions of businesses on social media, getting yours to stand out from the crowd can be just as challenging. In general, navigating the "social" aspect of social media can be difficult. The issue is that no one really ever explains what is a "do" and what is a "do not". Most small business owners feel like they are flying blind on platforms that change so frequently, and subsequently, so does the expected etiquette. We are always here to help because we believe in your business, and want you to be successful and be in the know! That is what this blog in our series Back To Basics: Socials is all about. We've compiled a top 12 list of do's and do not's for your small business' social media to help make it easier for you. Trust us when we say a lot of this will be common sense, but it never hurts to refresh oneself and stay up to date in the changing world of social media. Welcome To Back To Basics: Social Do’s & Do Not’s.
Social Media Do's
1. Engage With Your Followers
Have you ever sent a message or called someone and they just didn't respond? Or been in a one-sided relationship? Chances are that the answer is yes, and it is not very nice when things are not reciprocal. The same goes for your followers and communities. Nothing makes your community feel like you don't care like not engaging with them when they engage with you. So DO engage back with your community. We are not saying you have to have long drawn-out conversations, but when you post and they engage, a little like or quick comment to show you acknowledge their contribution goes a long way.
2. Keep Professional & Personal Separate
This one may not be really popular as we live in the age of oversharing. Sharing some bits of yourself is great and it really helps people connect, but there is a line where it's too much. We like to say an 80-20 ratio: that is 80% small business, product, service, informational, educational, community-driven or industry-related and 20% personal. We are not saying do not share, but DO try to keep the more intimate details of your personal life and opinions reserved for your personal social media. At the end of the day, you are running a small business and while being a small business allows much more freedom than other industries, we must remember to choose our moments when exercising that freedom.
3. Prioritize Your Platforms
There are so many social platforms to use these days, each with a very different kind of user or at least a different standard of what is and is not acceptable. It's a DO to focus on the platforms that help you achieve and cultivate a social space on the internet that is aligned with the kind of behavior and social interactions you are looking for. For instance, our community does not use X (formerly known as Twitter). We have chosen to abstain from it because we find that the language and discourse can be hurtful. People do not always speak to each other in a fair and respectful way. We do not want to operate in a space that has no baseline for respectful discourse. It's important as a small business to keep that in mind when you choose the social platforms you use for your small business. Prioritize the platforms that are going to help you achieve a safe space that feels good for you, your business and your audience.
4. Set The Tone
You are in the driver's seat of your small business' social media. You lead, and do so while setting the tone for your small business page. You get back what you put out. So if you are not looking for a place that invites hostility and debate, you must consider that with what you share content-wise and how your brand is speaking in said social space. It is a DO to make it clear what kind of behavior and actions are not welcome in your community.
5. Collaborate & Play Well With Others
Social media is a wonderful place to connect and collaborate. There is so much to be gained from collaborating with those who share your interests and are part of your community. There is much that can be enjoyed through collaborating on posts, content, products, services, and cultivating new audiences. For that to happen, you need to be committed to collaborating fairly and equitably. In short, it's a DO to play well with others. Small business has changed, and it's no longer a solo journey. As small business owners, it can be hard to put on the "collaboration hat". However, if you are open to collaborating with others in a respectful and mutually-beneficial way, you will find a more enjoyable small business journey and shared success. The playground of social media is big, and if you are open to it, there is much fun to be had.
6. Block As Needed & Stay Safe
We know this sounds harsh, and it is for a good reason. Remember how we mentioned that there are billions of users on Instagram alone in one of our previous posts? Yes, the social space is filled with all kinds of personalities and interactions. Some people are not looking to use social media in a healthy, respectful, and safe way. Some people bully, some people are confrontational and seek it out, some people steal things that are not theirs, some people escalate when it isn't warranted, some people use social media as a tool to cause discomfort to others. Some of those people may end up on your small business page. It's very simple: if you feel unsafe, mistreated, or are having issues with users helping themselves, block. You are a small business that has chosen to engage in the social space. No one is entitled to bully, harass, disrupt, troll, spam, or steal from you, your customers, or your small business. The block function is there for a reason, DO use it unapologetically. Anyone who is offended that you blocked them probably needed to be blocked because we cannot imagine you did so on an unwarranted basis.
Social Media Do Not's
1 . Do Not Ignore Constructive Criticism
There may come a time when a piece of content you have posted is not received very well by your audience. It happens, and your audience will likely be vocal about it. The path forward is Do Not just delete the comments and ignore your community's concerns. A better way is to respond in a professional and polite manner to criticism. It may not always feel great, but if it is made in an appropriate way, it is an opportunity to learn and fine-tune your message to avoid further upset. If you have made a mistake, address it. You will find people are pretty forgiving and we all sometimes miss the mark with our content. It's not that it happened that people remember, it's how we handled and responded to it that leaves an impact.
2. Do Not Tag A Platform You Don't Follow
This is a growing issue across platforms. Accounts tagging larger accounts they do not work with and have no interaction with. This is just polite social media manners. If you want an account to share your work, products, or services, there is a pretty high likelihood they will. However, rolling into an account's DMs and expecting them to do something for you when you can't even be bothered to follow them is the fastest way to get restricted and ignored. Just like you want to grow your community, that account does, too. A general rule of thumb is if you did not see fit to bother following them, DO NOT expect them to amplify content for you and share you with their community.
3. Don't Screenshot It, Instead Share It
Imagine you spent time creating content, conceptualizing an idea, and creating a graphic for it. You post it and you are feeling pretty good! Then you see that another account has screenshot it and shared it without even mentioning where it came from. That wouldn't feel really nice, would it? It would feel pretty crummy. Please DO NOT do this. It is a form of creative theft and it's not very nice. If you like something and want to use it, almost any account is going to be happy to have you share it and expects that you will credit them. Instead of screenshotting it, why not try sharing and crediting the account or creator to whom it belongs? People will still like the content just as much or maybe more, and you will score points for playing nice as we have mentioned before. Many users, when they see content posted that clearly does not belong to the account, or has seen it shared with the original account's information covered with a sticker, they will report it. If you do this often enough, you may find yourself in some legal trouble. Some creators, businesses, and accounts trademark their creative work. If you want to use it, share and credit. That is the easiest way to ensure fair play on social media platforms.
4. Don't Forget to Think Before You Post
This is like thinking before you speak, but in writing. If you think that something good goes viral, guess what? Bad things do, too, and even more so! That is why what you put up is important. When you are posting content on behalf of your business, it's good to remember that it's not you - the person - they associate with content; it's your business. So we always encourage taking a moment so you DO NOT post something that hurts your small business' growth and public image. A little trick we like to use is T-H-I-N-K and ask yourself:
T - Is it true?
H - Is it helpful?
I - Is it inspiring?
N - Is it necessary?
K - Is it kind?
If it is, then go ahead and post it. If it is not, well then maybe sit on it for a day before you do. You may find you feel differently about a piece of content a day later and, more importantly, what impact it may have on your small business.
5. Do Not Just Push Products Or Services
So this is tricky because you are a small business, and obviously you want to sell your products and services. We get that. But there is a little bit of finesse that's needed when deciding how much you make pushing products and services a part of your content on your social media. Fun little fact, people do not enjoy being constantly sold to. Social media does offer room to push products and services, but the platforms are more designed with the idea of connecting and engaging more than simply sales. Your audience won't enjoy non-stop product/service pushing, and it will drive them away. People are more likely to become your customer when they feel like their presence in your community isn't dependent on how much they have spent. If you follow the 80-20 rule that we mentioned earlier in this blog piece (80% enjoyable and informative brand-building content and 20% sales), you will see sales and lead generation happening from your social media platforms. So we always suggest Do Not continuously hard sell your products and services.
6. Do Not Forget That Social Media Isn't Real Life & To Connect To Real Life
From the outset, it looks like everyone on social media is happier than you, more successful than you, making more money than you, and living a better life than you. It is really important that you Do Not forget that what you are seeing is curated and it's the highlight reel. You cannot and should not compare yourself, your life, or your small business to anyone else's on social media. Period. Your journey as a small business owner is not the same as anyone else's on social media. It is also really important to realize that it is a digital space which reflects real life, but only the parts someone wants you to see. You can't live in the digital space, it's not real. It's always a good idea to invest in real-life activities, hobbies, relationships, and experiences. You cannot and will not benefit from basing your small business or your life around what happens online. Remember, social media is a tool to connect, engage, and create; it is not a benchmark for success and happiness.
While social media is always changing, good etiquette on social media is never going to go out of style. There you have it, our top 12 list of do's and do not's for your small business's social media to help make it easier for you to engage, grow, and connect in an authentic and healthy way. Our next piece in our Back To Basics: Social Series is Free Apps To Help You Add Value To Your Social Media, Content & Marketing. As a busy small business owner, utilize these tools and applications to optimize your time, streamline social media management, enhance content creation, and improve marketing strategies! You can find it here: Back To Basics: Free Apps To Help You Add Value To Your Social Media, Content & Marketing.
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More In The ONSBC Back To Basics Series
Instagram Basics: A Guide To Using Instagram
Facebook Basics: A Guide To Using Facebook For Business
Hashtags & Captions
The Five “W’s” In Media
Ghosting On Your Posting
Content Creation Foundations
Social Do’s & Do Not’s
Free Apps To Help You Add Value To Your Social Media, Content & Marketing
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