5 Social Media Marketing Do's and Don'ts

Social media provides a fantastic way for companies to market their brands. From individual influencers and small businesses to large companies and conglomerates, social media is something that everyone can utilise. However, finding the right strategies and tactics for social media can vary from one brand to another and depend on the audience you are trying to reach. But there are certain rules on social media that can apply to anyone trying to use these platforms to market a brand. Let’s consider some of the things you should and shouldn’t do when it comes to social media marketing.

1. DO Set Clear Goals

Goals are important in any marketing campaign. Without goals, it is impossible to measure the success of your strategies, i.e., your return on investment. Before you do anything, decide what you are hoping to achieve from the marketing campaign. Do you want increase traffic to your landing page? If so, by how much? Make sure goals are measurable. Otherwise, it will be difficult to prove the success of what you’re doing, which matters if you have stakeholders.

2. DON’T Spam Followers

Avoid using clickbait to boost engagement. That ship has sailed. Businesses or individuals that post spammy content inviting users to click on links in return for dubious rewards are likely to end up reported and banned. This type of content is frowned upon and even if you are not banned, your content won’t achieve much in the way of engagement. Social media algorithms tend to push spam down the page or not show it to users. This will have a negative impact on your brand in the long term.

3. DO Keep Your Branding Consistent

When people start to recognise the colours, fonts, and styles of your brand, that is one of the indications that your marketing strategy is working. One of the ways you can help to promote this is by keeping your branding as recognisable, consistent, and streamlined as possible. Have a colour theme that runs throughout all your marketing materials, and use the same fonts, styles, sizes, and patterns on all your content.

4. DON’T Take on Too Much

Just because there are many social media platforms available doesn’t mean you have to use all of them. For some companies, it might make sense to focus on three social media platforms, while others might have the capacity to build more of them. Brands that focus on video content might benefit from focusing on YouTube and Instagram, while those looking to build professional networks should look more at LinkedIn and Twitter. Focusing your efforts and energy on a strategic approach to social media marketing could mean you reach more of your target audience and get the results you want.

5. DO Post Regularly

One of the best ways to build a presence on social media is to post regularly. Whether you’re posting text, photos, videos, or other content, this will help your brand to stay relevant and ensure you’re being seen by your audience. The amount you post varies by social media platform – some are most effective when you post once a day, while others may benefit from several posts throughout the day. Share valuable and interesting content with your followers, whether it’s a recent news piece, an eye-catching photo made using Picsart background changer, or a quick video message on the go.

Create a posting schedule so you can manage how often you create and post content. You don’t necessarily need to post content daily, or more often. Sticking to a regular schedule is more important, as your followers will know when to expect content; it is also better for the search algorithm. Most small businesses don’t have the time or resources to post daily on social media, but as long as you post quality content on a set schedule, even if it is only twice a week, this can be just as effective.

If posting content daily is too much of a chore, create extra content when you have more time and then schedule it on days when you don’t have time.

6. DON’T Focus Only on Numbers

Focusing only on numbers when tracking and monitoring success may leave you without a proper picture of what you’re achieving. It can also prevent you from seeing critical gaps in your marketing strategies. While you might be reaching thousands of people every week, these might not be the people you want to reach. Alternatively, you may only reach a handful of people, but some of these could be exactly the right people from your target audience. Finding multiple ways to measure and monitor social media impact can help you to discover new ways to market online and understand more about your brand and audience.

7. DO Be Patient

Like all forms of marketing, social media marketing can take time. Building a recognisable brand on social media isn’t something that happens overnight, but with a focused plan you can achieve your goals in the longer term. Rather than trying to get one piece of content that attracts thousands, or even millions of views, consider taking a longer-term approach to building credible and valuable content that appeals to a loyal base of followers.

8. DON’T Post Personal Content on a Business Brand

Do not fall into the trap of posting personal content on your business platform. While it is a good idea to apply a more personal touch to content, especially if it’s humorous, it isn’t a good idea to air your political views or dirty laundry on a business social media page. If you do this, you run the risk of attracting trolls and criticism. This is the last thing any brand needs. Things like funny memes are OK, but controversial content is not.

There are many common tactics and popular mistakes that people make when conducting social media marketing. Understanding the basics of creating content can help you to boost your brand on social media and build an engaged and loyal following.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes