Anyone in the world of business knows what social media is.
However, not all of us know how to use it properly. Businesses are held to a higher standard than John or Jane Smith, and yet can still make the same mistakes as individuals. John or Jane Smith’s closest friends and associates might see an inappropriate post and their lives can go on because they know that their friend doesn’t mean to offend anyone.
This is an entirely different ballgame when businesses are concerned. Businesses making an unintentionally inappropriate post meant to be a joke can do far more damage to their reputation. The post can get around in seconds and can possibly make the evening news. Word of mouth is sometimes seen as a traditional way of marketing, but it is still very powerful and is amplified even further by social media. Essentially, word of mouth can make or break your business strategy.
In addition, the effects can be far-reaching and you could lose support from customers and clients. Since these people are also on social media, they can inform their networks about your social media mishap. The social media community doesn’t know you even if some of them are your customers. They don’t know your intentions or your personality, so posts will be misinterpreted. Small businesses’ reputations mean far more to them than bigger businesses because no one knows what they’re about. Maintaining a good reputation on social media is key to keeping your business growing strong.
The general rules of social media are pretty clear, but each social media site has their own rules. When you are posting content to these sites, make sure to know what is acceptable and what isn’t. Content that is acceptable to audiences on Facebook might not be acceptable to audiences on Twitter. One of the main reasons other than the space limitations on Twitter, is that posting more frequently on Twitter is more acceptable than it is to post frequently on Facebook; Twitter feeds tend to move a lot faster than Facebook ones.
For an overview on how to conduct yourself on social media, check the infographic below.
There you have it, a very straight forward and simple guide to etiquette on social media, what do you think? Post your comments below.
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