Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe Today RSS

While there's no wrong way to eat a Reese's, there are some things you shouldn't do on social media.

So if you are a Social Media Manager or running your small business account, how do you ensure that you provide an enjoyable and informative experience for your audience?

You follow our list of the 5 Dos and 5 Don'ts of Social Media!

Let's dive in.

What's working?

Do: Introduce Yourself

Take the time to introduce your brand and your employees! It’s a great way to showcase your brand’s personality.

Re-introduce the team every 2-3 months so that new followers know the face(s) behind the brand.

Some topics you can cover are:

• How the business started
• Company values
• Your background, previous experience
• Your favourite thing about your job

Don’t: Misuse Automated Messaging

Bots are a great way to provide quick answers at busy times; however, it is never good to rely on them for everything.

You must be transparent with your bots and let people know when interacting with an automated service. 

Talking to a bot can feel impersonal and sometimes frustrating; it is important to use them when needed.

If you require them, let your customers know that you'll contact them soon if they need to have a person-to-person interaction.

Do: Listen to Your Followers

Engagement is a two-way street, and you mustn’t close any doors with your audience.

Does a follower have a content request? If so, try your best to fulfill it! This shows that you do listen and that you value input. 

This back and forth interaction promotes conversations and is the key to being SOCIAL on social media. 

Don’t: Obsess About Numbers.

It can be easy to forget that brand awareness and growing your network are long-term endeavours. 

While having a lot of followers can be a good indicator of success, it’s not the only metric that matters. 

Focus on QUALITY over QUANTITY. Provide your audience with engaging content instead of pressing them incessantly for likes, follows, and reshares.

Do: Separate Personal and Business

When building a business brand on social media, you must keep your personal and professional pages separate.

While it’s great to be personable, some content may only be appropriate for friends and family (i.e., pictures of your dog, home renovations).

Maintaining a divide also prevents confusion over who you are as a business and what you’re trying to sell.

Don’t: Overly Brand Your Page

Over branding comes off as inauthentic. 

While some posts will require heavier branding, you need to have a nice content ratio. We recommend focusing on an 80-20 practice where 80% of your posts are fun and educational, while the remaining are for branding. 

Good branding is about generating the right amount of curiosity.

Do: Designate a Social Media Time for Engaging

Once you start creating larger engagement, learn your audience is most active times.

You must involve yourself with your audience: like their posts, answer their questions, reshare content, etc.

Dedicating time each day (ex. 1hr) will allow you to make a habit of being social on your platform. 

Engagement allows you to showcase your personality!

Don’t: Spam Post

Posting too much at once can drown out your authentic content and engagement. 

Not only is it annoying for followers, but it can also come across as pushy and unprofessional.

Creating content that provides value is one of the most important aspects of social media. 

Do: Batch Create Your Content

Content batching is one of the most effective ways to create social media content.

It helps you save time, post consistently, and repurpose your ideas across platforms.

You’re able to focus your creative energy without jumping from task to task, and you can plan content weeks — creating a more cohesive approach to your strategy.

Don’t: Abuse Hashtags.

Don’t turn every word in a post into a hashtag or cram unrelated hashtags into your post.

If you excessively use hashtags, your posts can come across as spammy and will become ineffective.

Use 5-10 appropriate hashtags to bring visibility to your page.

Hashtag usage can vary depending on the channel, so it is important to be familiar with each platform’s standards. 

Final Word

Platforms and their features are constantly evolving, but it is important to know posting standards.

Following our list of the 5 Dos and Don’ts of Social Media will help you grow your social platforms to become a place of value and positive engagement!

We hope you enjoyed learning about the 5 Dos and Don'ts of Social Media. If you’re looking for more great content, check out some of our other reads below:

The Future of Digital Advertising – What You Need To Know

Shoppable Livestreams for Ecommerce

How to Make Content that Drives Conversions and Leads