An Internet Marketing Blog

In 2013, most business managers know that being present on social media is important. However, it can be difficult for a company that does not have an employee with professional social media experience to communicate effectively with them. In this article, I will discuss the best strategies to use for your business’ social media.

Create a social media policy

You need to be careful of what you say or share on social media because a wrong post can spread rapidly and may harm to your business. It is therefore important that you establish a social media policy to determine the rules to follow while using them. This policy may include, among others:

- The reason you are active on social media

- Authorized and forbidden discussion topics

- The language level (formal, familiar, etc.)

- Who is the author of the posts, the company or the person who publishes on social media?

- Who owns the accounts

- What is acceptable and unacceptable to share

Plan your publications

It is important to plan your social media posting by taking into account, for example, the times of day when people who follow you are most active. You can also schedule posts by using software such as HootSuite. It will facilitate your content’s posting and you will be able to concentrate on interacting with your followers.

Build relationships with people who follow you

What distinguishes social media from other mediums is the opportunity to interact with celebrities, brands, businesses, etc. So if someone writes you a message or comments one of your posts, it is important that you answer. If it is a negative message, answer it without being hostile because entering into a conflict with one of your followers will do you no good.

In addition, if one of your followers publishes interesting content, you can share it. Indeed, since you ask them to share your content, it is normal that you do the same for them. Following your followers’ accounts is also a good practice.

Do not forget to check them

You have acquired the habit of checking your emails when you arrive at work. Now you must get used to checking your social media’s activity. Indeed, as it is frustrating to not receive an answer to an email, it is frustrating for someone who reaches you on social media to not get a response. A company that responds quickly and clearly to its followers will have a reputation of caring about them and this reputation will precede it on social media.

Seize the opportunity to make your business more human

I really like when a company publishes photos or updates that show their corporate culture, the activities they organize, their employees, etc. These publications show the human side of a business and could motivate people to apply for a job at your company just because you seem to have a fun work atmosphere. So, if your company participates in a beach volleyball tournament this summer, do not hesitate to share your team’s performance with your social media communities!

Complete your social media profiles

Would you be satisfied if your website included incomplete texts, Under construction pages and no photos? Obviously, you would not. You need to perceive your social media as if they were additional websites for your business. Therefore, you must fill every required content field, upload photos, write your contact information, etc. An incomplete profile gives an impression of amateurism to your business and such a misstep is easily avoidable by simply taking the time to complete your social profiles.

Respect each platform’s etiquette

As in everyday life, there are certain rules of etiquette to follow on social media. For example, it is not recommended to publish more than 2 times a day on Facebook and use more than 3 hashtags in a tweet. Learn about these rules before diving into content publishing.

Analyze the results of your actions

It is important to analyze your results on social media, because it is how you will learn what works and what does not work with your audience so you can adjust your strategy accordingly. Some social networks such as Facebook provide analytics tools and Google’s website management tools are useful for measuring your website visits that come from social media.

How do you use social media in your business? What works for you?

Kevin Proulx on Google+

Sources :

WTWH Media Marketing – http://marketing.wtwhmedia.com/10-social-media-best-practices-for-businesses

Craft Creative Marketing – http://www.craftcreativemarketing.com/social-media-best-practices-for-business-infographic/

Tilson PR – http://tilsonpr.com/thought-leadership/item/521-social-media-best-practices-every-business-should-know