15 Do’s And Dont’s For Your Social Media Strategy

Social media is always changing, and staying ahead of the competition requires constant adjustments. You try out the latest new “rule” and it works until it doesn’t. Or it works for others but not for you. Still, there are some do’s and dont’s that never change. Read on to learn how to take the guesswork out of your social media strategy.
 

Trying new things

• Do experiment
• Don’t be afraid of trying new things

As Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Instead, spend part of your social media efforts trying new things. Then see what works and refine your strategy and you’ll be on your way to success.
 

Finding the right answers

• Do adapt your social media practices as needed
• Don’t take tips from books or websites and apply them without tailoring them to your specific situation

What works in theory doesn’t always work in practice. For instance, some advice might work for influencers with a national audience and other advice might be better suited for niche brands in a local community. Take your situation into consideration when applying social media strategies.
 

Choosing the right platforms

• Do use platforms that support your marketing goals
• Don’t try to be on every social media platform that exists

When you’re deciding which social media platforms to use, research where your audience lives. Is your intended audience made up of senior citizens interested in European vacations? Then you can probably skip Snapchat and Twitch.
 

Getting personal

• Do use people’s real names wherever possible
• Don’t give generic, boring responses

Your audience isn’t a faceless crowd, it’s made up of individuals. When you interact with people on chat or social media, address them by name if you know them and tailor your responses to them. They’ll appreciate the personal touch and you might get a new customer.
 

Serving your audience

• Do answer every question that you receive via email, chat or on social media
• Don’t neglect your audience’s questions

Every question you receive is a chance to engage, and the effect goes far beyond the person you’re answering. Give a personal answer to someone on email or chat and they might share it with their friends or family. Answer a question well on social media and others will definitely see it and appreciate it.
 

Taking a multi-channel approach

• Do build your audience on social networking sites, your website, your blog and through face-to-face interactions
• Don’t just depend on paid advertising to build your audience

Everyone has their favorite places to go online and if you neglect some of those places, you’re missing out on an opportunity. Go where your audience is — on social media, your website, your blog and in the real world — and you’ll gain followers and save on advertising.
 

Engaging your audience

• Do engage with your audience on a continual basis
• Don’t turn down opportunities to continue engaging

If you do social media in fits and spurts, you might attract a few people to your website, but not much will come of it. Commit to a regular, sustained social media strategy and you’ll build an audience that looks forward to hearing from you.
 

Being part of the conversation

• Do participate in conversations on social media
• Don’t be afraid to connect with people who have different opinions

You might prefer to be above the fray, but there’s a lot to gain by being a part of the social media conversation. It can establish you as an expert, for example. And even if some people don’t agree with you, most will respect you and recognize your authentic voice.
 

Setting your focus

• Do talk about your audience’s passions and pain points
• Don’t just talk your products

Your audience is more interested in solving their problems than getting into the weeds of your product’s extended feature list. Show them how your product can help them and you’ll have their attention.
 

Getting shares

• Do publish content that encourages sharing
• Don’t give your audience content that’s too self-serving

Put yourself in your audience’s shoes. What kind of content would they share? What would they like to get from you? Give them what they want instead of just talking about your brand. They’ll be much more likely to share it.
 

Going mobile

• Do publish mobile-friendly content
• Don’t publish low-quality images

Most of your audience accesses your content from their phones. Make sure it looks good on mobile and use images and design that don’t make your brand your brand look amateur.
 

Aligning strategy with goals

• Do connect your social strategy to organizational objectives
• Don’t participate in social media without identifying goals

Just being on social media isn’t going to make you successful. Success takes planning. Think about why you’re on social media and what you want to achieve. Then make a plan and adjust as needed.
 

Using analytics

• Do gain audience insights from analytics that span a period of time and tell a story
• Don’t jump to conclusions based on a snapshot of data

Using analytics regularly to shape your social media strategy can transform your results. Just make sure that you look at the same metrics over time so you get a complete picture, or you might miss out on some hidden opportunities.
 

Creating your web presence

• Do build your reputation
• Don’t just focus on rankings

Getting your social media posts to go viral is great, but remember that if it does happen, that viral post will be how many people first see your brand. Does it reflect how you want to be portrayed? Consistency over time will do more to build your web presence than going viral with one off-brand post.
 

Growing a loyal audience

• Do seek loyalty
• Don’t seek to become a celebrity

Does your audience love you for you or for what you do for them? When it comes to brands, audiences are more likely to stick with you when you offer them something that they value. After all, there’s always something new and shiny coming along. Give your audience a reason to stick with you.

Which of these do’s and dont’s are you doing right? Which inspired you to try something different? Let us know!