Social Media Etiquette Unspoken Rules

Many businesses use social media as a fun way to connect and interact with their customers.  In general, social media is more informal than other types of advertising, yet there are guidelines you can use to make it more effective.  We refer to these as the unspoken rules of social media etiquette.

First, here are the things you should do for good social media etiquette:

1. Create posts that are a reflection of your brand.  Your Facebook or Instagram posts should have more personality than your website pages, but that personality should be consistent with your culture and core values.  When people see your posts, they should get a good feeling about who you are as a company.
2. Respond to comments.  Most social media sites use algorithms that determine how many readers’ feeds your posts will show up on.  The more “engaging” your post, the more widely it will be seen.  One way social media companies measure engagement is by the back and forth conversations in the comments.  Besides, if a reader took the time to comment, they expect you to respond within a few minutes or hours.  Always respond to every comment!
3. Make sure your social page profile is complete.  If you’re setting up a new social media account, include as much information as possible in the profile sections.  Readers should be able to discern who you are and how to find you.
4. Don’t go overboard with hashtags.  Yes, hashtags can increase the reach of your post, but if you hashtag everything under the sun, it looks unprofessional and desperate.  Use hashtags that make sense to the specific post.  Create a hashtag or two specific to your company’s brand.
5. Post regularly.  Social media algorithms also look at how regularly you post and do your readers.  By keeping up with relevant information at least three times a week, algorithms will give you points for regular communication, and readers will know your account is active.  There are software tools available to help manage your posts.

And of course, here are a few things to avoid on social media:

1. Don’t be inappropriately or silly.  It’s easy to post humorous comments on social media, but you should probably have a few trusted colleagues read over them first.  Offensive posts get shared quickly–and not in a good way.  Never make fun of your competition.  Avoid arguing with readers in the comments.  Your company’s reputation can be ruined quickly by a funny post gone tragically off the rails or poorly constructed comments.
2. Don’t be too salesy.  You want to promote your company, but this is not a place to ask for the business with every single post.  People want to be entertained or informed when they go to social media.  Make sure your posts do one of those things.  Every now and then, it’s acceptable to throw in a sales pitch.
3. Don’t automate replies.  It’s simple to purchase a bot that will send automated responses to social media comments.  Don’t do it.  People will see through the inauthentic approach, and you’ll lose followers quickly.  Instead, hire someone within your company to reply to comments.
4. Don’t make it complicated.  Short posts with timely, engaging, and relevant information are best.  Let readers know about your employees, locations, products, and community.  If it’s truly interesting to you or your team, it will likely be interesting to your followers.
5. Don’t go alone.  It’s easy to get lost or overwhelmed with social media.  Use an advertising agency like Paradux Media Group to help you manage your social media presence.  They can advise you on the best posts to increase your visibility and ensure you’re not wasting your time or money.

Optimize your social media presence with the assistance of Paradux Media Group.

At Paradux Media Group, we help organizations make the best use of their marketing budgets–from developing effective marketing campaigns to implementing new communication tools like social media.  We help companies make smart decisions to get the results they want.  Contact us today and learn more about the benefits of joining our flock!