No matter who you are, if you’re reading this then you likely have some sort of connection to the social media world, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, StumbleUpon – you get the idea. It’s everywhere! Kind of like zombies in that one movie with, you know, all the zombies. Anyways. My dad and most aunts and uncles even use Facebook and Twitter to connect with friends and colleagues. That’s saying something!
So, obviously it’s a hot commodity. But, how do we use these social media networking avenues to help market ourselves and businesses?
To start, almost any reliable, modern and smart company will have at least one, if not several, profiles on these social media sites. At its core, social media networking is digital word-of-mouth. We rely on the credibility of the information we learn from these online communities, which have been vetted by ourselves and contacts whom we trust. That’s where the value begins. It’s a great way to easily get the word out, promote products, announce sales and giveaways, gain new fans and even gain new clients. You never know. So, let’s get down to the dos and don’ts, shall we?
Dos
1. Submit original content or finds as often as you can.
2. Contribute comments and discussions to others’ profiles if you expect them to do the same on yours.
3. Be respectful. Remember what your mom used to say? “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all.” If you need to correct another’s factual error, be civil!
4. Learn about all the possibilities and potential of the social networking site you’re using. Make the most of your online presence.
5. Be open-minded. Other people may post some really weird stuff.
6. Have a lasting and easy to remember avatar. This relates mostly to Twitter.
7. Give credit where credit is due.
Don’ts
1. Don’t be fake. People can tell if you’re just another social robot.
2. Don’t just post press releases and client news. It WILL bore your followers. Or should I say ex-followers?
3. Don’t post eighty times a day. That’s too much! Some of us like to call that spam.
4. Don’t have more than one personality. You’ll confuse your readers.
5. Don’t follow random people in hopes to get followed back. Just follow people you’re actually interested in, who produce interesting content.
6. Don’t create a strategy if you can’t put in the time and effort to follow through. This goes for much more than social networking.
So, set some goals, define your brand, be a good player, and have a good time. In other words, socialize!
One Comment
Nice points! I especially agree with “Do” #3. The Golden Rule should extend to the digital world, but too often – especially in anonymous forums/networks – people throw this rule out the window and go at each other like apes fighting over the last banana (or something like that.) I’ve found that simply letting a comment sit for a few minutes before clicking “Post” allows me enough time to determine whether or not what I’m about to submit is contributing to the discussion, or just adding to the noise and aggravation found all-too-often online.
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