Social media can be simple in some aspects, but managing a business page can be difficult. Here are our top 10 do’s and don’ts of managing a business profile to give you a helping hand.
The do’s:
1) Complete your profile
First impressions are key, so whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, Google + or LinkedIn it is important to make sure you have the following:
- A profile picture
- A cover photo
- A descriptive About Me section
- Company details, including a link to your site
- A username that is easily identifiable and links to your brand
2) Follow the right people
Twitter is a good way to build relationships by following the people and companies that are related to your business. This can help boost your follower numbers as well as increase engagement on your profile. Followerwonk is a useful tool to search for relevant profiles to follow.
3) Keep it short
Nobody likes reading an essay on social media. Creating a short post that includes the relevant information needed will allow your audience to absorb it quickly, and will help make the post more memorable. Also, shortening links by using tools such as Bitly can make the post look tidier, and can help save those much-needed characters on Twitter!
4) Be visual
Having a visually engaging profile will help your page become recognized and memorable. Make sure that your page represents your brand by using brand colours and visual imagery that is relevant to you. Posts with multimedia attract the eye, so therefore receive more engagement than posts without.
5) Post regularly
Posting regularly will show that the business is consistent, and this will help keep your followers updated as much as possible. With Twitter it’s good to tweet more than once a day, however Facebook and LinkedIn won’t need as many. Experiment with different times of day and how many posts you schedule and see what works best for your company. Tools such as Hootsuite and Buffer can be useful for scheduling posts.
The don’ts:
1) #Don’t #use #too #many #hashtags
Using hashtags allows posts and tweets to be categorised with similar content. However, using too many will make your posts look spammy and possible even unreadable. Try to hashtag the specific keywords in your posts.
2) Multiple profiles
Having multiple profiles causes a lot of complication and makes life difficult for people who are trying to search for you. If you have more than one Twitter profile try and delete them all and keep the one that is most active.
3) Poor gramma’r and CAPITAL LETTERS
Poor grammar and capital letters will make your page look unprofessional and can give off the wrong impression. For example, if a post says “WATCH OUR VIDEO NOW!” this could come across as angry to your followers. Even if you only have 140 characters, it’s still important to use the correct punctuation.
4) Don’t ignore complaints
Nobody likes complaints, but instead of looking at it negatively try and think of it as an opportunity to improve on the affected areas in the future. It is crucial to respond to complaints as it shows that you have acknowledged them and that you are willing to face up to the issue. A complaint unanswered could be worse for your company than the complaint being posted in the first place.
5) Sales focus
Selling products is key in a business, however a personal element is needed. Having the best of both worlds is vital as it will help to build relationships without bombarding people with prices.