Essential guide to Social Media
When it comes to the social media for everyone there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. The idea that social media will be your one stop shop for success couldn’t be less true. Successful social media means being smart and knowing how to promote right. Regardless of the media, here is the Do’s and Don’ts guide to social media.
First the DON’T
Don’t: Spam
Never spam your audience with hundreds of shady self-promotion tactics and annoying posts. There’s enough of that already. You might get a short term spike in traffic, but your long-term trust will slowly dwindle until you’re all alone on spammer island. This doesn’t mean to not tell people about special things just try to keep the percentage of those types of posts to the other types of posts as small as possible. Build your followers with the Do’s
Don’t: Buy followers
Your real followers and people aren’t stupid. Keep your following organic. Sure, having a ton of followers looks good on the surface. However, when you post something and your 40,000 “followers” are only giving you two likes, people are going to know what’s up pretty quickly. Buying followers will hurt your brand in the long run. Keep your followers real and protect your brand in every way that you can.
Don’t: Have a hundred different names
Funny account names are great but they make you hard to find. Name your account in accordance with your project. If the exact username is taken, then find an account name as close to it as possible. If a potential person can’t find you, then they’ll stay a potential forever. Having lots of different pages on a single platform isn’t productive and often confusing. KISS it, Keep It Simple Stupid.
Don’t : Let someone else be you
It’s simple: post your own content. You don’t need a social media manager, or a PR agent, or anyone else to post for you. Craft your own posts and BE YOU. Make yourself available to your followers. If someone comments on your content, answer them personally. Being open and approachable makes for happier followers, and happier followers will be way more engaged with what you’re doing. Your followers are important so be there for them.
Don’t: Forget about your profiles
Before you launch your project on any platform, make sure that you will be able to stay committed to it. Successful social media takes time and work to maintain. Don’t expect your first post to sky-rocket you to fame. Post often and monitor all your platforms. Check it like you check your email and stay in touch with what is going on on each profile. Social media platforms aren’t automatic success machines. They are resources that have to be used properly to work. So stay dedicated to your brand for best results.
NOW THE DO’S
Do: Put the ‘social’ in social media
Other people in your niche aren’t your enemy. They’re part of the community that you’re a part of too. So follow them and get involved in discussions. It’s a great first step to planning bigger things. Make connections in real life and make things happen. If you support people in your niche, they’ll support you back. Build the scene you want to be a part of.
Do: Tell your whole story
Share your life in addition to your offerings. Whether it’s an up or a down in the day to day or weekly look give people a glimpse into your everyday. Who doesn’t wanna look at cool things all day? Professional shots of things are fine but the behind the scenes of things is what people wanna see the most. Use your social media to give everyone a “backstage pass”.
Do: Follow back
If someone took the time to follow your account, chances are they came across your profile and like your stuff. Well like them back. Check out the profiles of those that follow you, and as long as they don’t seem spammy, give ‘em a follow back. It’s just good manners.
Do: Link your accounts
If you post to Instagram, share the post on Facebook, Twitter, and anything else. If you post to Facebook, link to the post in a tweet. Make sure your audience can find you wherever they want to. It will make your posts count to all of your audiences. You end up getting more exposure by doing less work, bet you don’t get to do that very often.
Do: Spend a little cash on marketing yourself
There is bags of ways you can spend a little bit of money to extend your reach. Even a few bucks will go a long way. Boost a post on Facebook, hire a photographer to take some press shots. No matter what you do, invest something in your hard work. It’ll pay off down the road. This is not buying followers, this is expanding your exposure and reach beyond your immediate friends and friends of friends.
Do: Stay informed
Start discussions. Keep in touch with what’s going on around you and comment on it. Maybe it’s an issue you feel strongly about, or a big piece of news about someone you know. Tell people what you think! Sharing and being open about your thoughts builds trust and establishes you as a tastemaker. You can’t be a trend setter if you don’t know what’s trending. So stay informed on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and be the source for relevant and engaging opinions.
The best way to build a great social media following
No matter what your social media strategy is the one thing you can always do to keep your following growing. No amount of social media exposure will help if you don’t have material to share. So hone your craft and push yourself to be better. Because your biggest fan should be yourself.