6 Best Practices Business Owners Should Share with Social Media Teams
Social media is one of the most dynamic elements of modern marketing. What works for social media reach and relevance can change by the hour, let alone the day. But while trends shift organically based on news, popular culture and viral blips in the social stratosphere, the key to long-term effectiveness is to build social media practices on a foundation of common sense philosophies and actions that can support additional guidance reflecting current events.
These six best practices can be implemented universally across social media teams in any industry:
1. Don't mistake company social media accounts for personal accounts. This practice is especially important for social media apps like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, which are frequently used via mobile devices and, with only a few clicks, allow users to toggle between accounts.
2. Stay truly up to date on trending topics. A business does not want to fall into the category of a bandwagon brand sharing memes now deemed inappropriate or seem like a company trying to capitalize on trends that have already had their moments in the sun.
3. When it comes to trending topics, generally speaking, less is more where hashtagging is concerned. For example, Twitter recommends including no more than two hashtags per tweet, although using more hashtags is permitted. Meanwhile, Instagram is more liberal with hashtagging rules and allows users up to 30 hashtags per post.
4. Respond to audience comments and inbox messages in a timely manner. Ideally, as soon as possible. Companies should also display expected wait times (e.g. “For in-depth customer service questions, we will respond to your message within two business days.”) on their social media profiles. Facebook, for example, encourages businesses to earn a public “Very responsive to messages” profile badge when their page meets criteria like a 90% message response rate and a 15-minute response time over a one-week period.
5. Evaluate social media automation levels and reduce automation prevalence as appropriate. Social media automation tools, such as Hootsuite, TweetDeck, Sprout Social and Buffer all have their uses, but do not let the convenience of automation detract from personal engagements and experiences with followers and potential new customers. Keep in mind that these interactions should also not be hyper-sales focused. Meaningful (and profitable) customer relationships are formed when companies find ways to relate to their audience rather than spamming them with special offers and promotions.
6. Refrain from limiting the business’s social media presence to only one platform. While the major social media sites can be counted on two hands, there are dozens of social media sites available to expand marketing efforts and reach a broader audience. In fact, more than half of all brand discovery occurs in public social media feeds, according to the We Are Social and Hootsuite report.
Build a Culture of Accountability
Given how vital social media presence is to branding and, in turn, business success, creating boundaries for appropriate social media content and conduct is critical for companies. Outlining what not to talk about on company social media accounts and establishing best practices for social media use builds a culture of transparency and measurable accountability that will ensure business reputations and social media teams are all informed and protected.
*Source: 6 Best Practices Business Owners Should Share with Social Media Teams