There are no rules for social media marketing, but here are some do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when building and crafting your brand’s social strategy.

The beauty of marketing on social media is the endless opportunities for growth and expansion for your brand. With a plethora of platforms and over a billion people to engage with, there is no shortage of ways to get your brand name seen and heard. However, there are some “unwritten rules” when marketing your business that every brand should pay attention to.

Related: How To Build A Brand In 2019

Let’s go over the most common do’s and don’ts for social media marketing.

Social Media Marketing: Do’s and Don’ts

1. DO: Create A Complete Profile

First impressions are equally as important URL as they are IRL. The first step is to make sure that all your profiles are set up and complete before trying to cultivate an audience.

Social media accounts that aren’t fully designed with useful information, appear less professional and trustworthy to new followers. Take some time to think of a clever bio, visible profile picture and fill out the rest of your profile. Don’t forget about including your contact information.

Related: 5 Social Media Faux Pas That Are Holding Your Business Back

2. DO: Stay Active on Your Social Accounts

One of the biggest conundrums when coming up with a strategy as a brand is “How many times should we post?”. This can vary depending on your brand and industry.

There is no set rule on the appropriate amount of times to post, but you should always try to stay active by posting 3-5 times a week. This keeps content fresh for your customers and allows you to engage with your followers on a regular basis.

3. DON’T: Don’t Engage In Spam Posting

Spam posting is a quick and easy way to watch your engagement drop. Spam posting, liking, and retweeting is not the smartest approach when you’re trying to cultivate an audience.

Behavior like this, will present your brand as needy, unprofessional and it shows a lack of understanding of how the social media landscape works.

4. DO: Practice Mindful Posting

Think before you post. What you post becomes the representation of your brand. Therefore, you don’t want to give customers the wrong impression. Be mindful of who you are as a business and make sure the messaging you’re marketing on social media aligns with your core values.

Check out this article on Sprout Social for a comprehensive guide to content sharing.

5. DO: Interact With Your Audience

When you’re using social media marketing, be personable. People don’t want to interact with robots when engaging with brands on social media.

Provide helpful content when people have questions and concerns. And, make sure to respond to people in a timely manner. Common courtesy goes a long way when marketing on social media. The goal is to build connections and engage with customers online as you would in real life.

Hootsuite has a great article on learning everything about your audience and speaking to the “right” customer.

6. DON’T: Post Strictly Advertisements or Promoted Posts

Promoted posts are the heart of social media marketing. Its how you reach new people, inspire leads and bring awareness to your brand’s message. But, it’s key to remember that they have a time and place.

If you bombard your followers with ad-related content every time you post, you are going to see a drop in engagement over time. Thankfully ad tools allow you to target people that don’t already follow you, so that you can strictly reach “non-followers”.

People don’t like being told what to do and they especially dislike feeling targeted by brands for solicitation. Be cautious when creating ads and make sure you know exactly who you want to speak to.

7. DO: Engage In Helping Over Selling

People love to be heard, especially when communicating with brands. When marketing on social media you have to make sure you are spending 80% of your time helping and engaging with followers. And, 20% selling.

Money is the motive, but you don’t want to come off as having that mentality.

8. DON’T: Complain or Showcase Negativity

We understand that sometimes, in order to sound relatable to the general public, you have to be a little “feisty”.

Brands like Wendy’s and PopTarts have mastered the art of not taking themselves too seriously. But, that doesn’t mean it’s a technique that works for everybody.

You want to separate yourself from the competition, so clapping back at customers and complaining on social media isn’t always the best way to go. If other users see how you treat fellow customers, they may be inclined to take their business somewhere else.

9. DON’T: Be Transparent Only In The Face of a Crisis

Brand transparency is key when marketing on social media.

Customers need to know what they are buying in to and will often ask questions if they’re unsure. One mistake many brands make is being transparent only in the face of crisis.

Make the details of your brand clear and easy to find. And, when followers are asking questions about items they are unsure about, don’t jump to the defensive. Practice good brand behavior and resolve the issue in a timely and agreeable manner.

10. DO: Make Your Social Media Enjoyable

It’s easy to get wrapped up in all the “unwritten” rules of social media, but you should always remember to be yourself and have a good time.

Experiment with new ways to reach your audience and try new methods of content to expand your brand identity. Not only will this keep things interesting for you, but it will also keep your followers engaged and interacting positively with your brand.

Social media is always changing and it’s easy to get lost in the vast landscape of these technological platforms. Utilize your social media marketing knowledge to stay aware of relevant practices and incorporate them into your social media strategy. This will make marketing your brand or business on social media a successful and positive experience.

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Do you have any social media marketing, dos or don’ts, that you’d like to share? Connect with us on social at @H_Collective.