5 Things Your Business Should Avoid on Social Media Part 2

hashtags  The first part of this article explained two of the mistakes many businesses make on social media that negatively affect the brand and how their audience sees the company. There are three more things to avoid when it comes to your business’ social media etiquette.

  • Begging for followers

Begging for followers or subscribers is a great way to make your business appear pathetic and desperate. It doesn’t matter if you’re on Twitter or Facebook – asking for more followers is a no-no.

It is your job to market properly and post things that will catch the attention of your audience and their friends. Once your customers begin speaking about your products, this will allow new customers to follow your page – but you have to do the marketing yourself.

Constantly asking your subscribers to spread the word or share the photo so you can gain more followers is not the best way to get people to notice your brand.

Instead: Post a photo every once in awhile with the caption “keep the picture going!” or something catchy that will persuade your followers to indirectly share your page. There are clever ways to get your photos and posts viral without directly asking people to follow your page. Do your own footwork on social media such as Twitter by following people who you may believe would be interested in your products and services. They will follow you back if they believe your page will benefit them.

  • Using hashtags

Hashtags are a blessing and a curse. They can be effective when used properly but are usually just another way to annoy your audience.

It is completely unnecessary to overload your post with hashtags and can usually do more harm than good. You also don’t want to hashtag on something that is irrelevant to your post. For example, including “#explosion” because you want to blow the minds of your customers may backfire if something tragic has happened involving an explosion.

Instead: If you really feel your post requires a hashtag, include words that will be helpful or search engine friendly. You want people to encounter your page because it was something they were searching for, not because your posts are clogged with hashtags. Be sure to choose relevant words that will actually help people who want to find you or are looking for products like yours.

  • Keeping business and personal accounts separated

This can mean life or death for your company, especially if it isn’t a corporate giant.

Sure, some big businesses have been involved with people posting inappropriate messages on the company’s page rather than their own. Don’t get caught accidentally posting something onto your business page that belongs n your personal page. It actually happens more often than not and for small businesses, the results can be devastating.

Be sure to keep your business page professional and business oriented. Using posts that will pique interests and spark emotions can be effective, but don’t post anything that will cause controversy or cause people to become upset and unhappy with your company.

Instead: Avoid the big ones: politics, religion and personal choices. Keep your ‘business friends’ and ‘personal friends’ separated. You may use your personal Facebook to post about issues that are bothering you, so be sure to only include people on this page who know you and respect your beliefs. Use humor in your business posts and share things that everyone can enjoy or speak their opinions about without causing any havoc involving your business.

Social media is a beneficial and helpful way to spread news and information about your business when done correctly. Finding the best places to receive marketing tips can be difficult, but if you sign up for your free newsletter today, you will get exclusive advice and marketing tools that will help you be successful.






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