6 Things I Wish Momma Told Me About Social Media

Social Media can provide lots of great exposure for your business. Before you dive in head first, there are a few mistakes you will want to avoid. After all, momma wouldn’t  think that was prudent.

1. Mixing Personal with Business - Unless you are the brand, separate your personal social media accounts from your business accounts. From a business perspective, most people don’t want the details of your personal life. They are more interested in your products and services rather than pictures of your family vacation.

2. Incomplete Profiles – Social media profiles provide an excellent opportunity for business. Make sure that you fill out your company profiles completely. An incomplete profile comes across as unprofessional.

3. Spamming – No one likes to be spammed and it is one of the fastest ways to lose credibility with an audience.  The purpose of social media is to engage in conversations, not to annoy people.

4. A Dead Account – Once you start posting content on a site like Facebook or Twitter, you need to keep it going. Otherwise, you will run the risk of people becoming uninterested and un-following you. Try to post some type of content on a daily basis during the business week.

5. Touching Hot Topics – There are certain subjects that should not be discussed on your social media network. If you would not bring a topic up in a meeting with a client, then don’t do it online either. Whenever you post something, ask yourself if this post will cost you followers and is it worth it?

6. Start Selling Out of The Gate – Don’t beat people over the head with sales messages in the beginning.  The main purpose is to build relationships. A good practice is to post at least 100 posts before pitching any products or services. As the relationship builds with your audience, it is generally acceptable to promote your services or products once every 50 posts.  The frequency of self-promotion does vary based on your market. For example, it is understood that a local restaurant will regularly post specials that they are running.

By following the 6 simple steps, momma will surely be proud. If you would like more free tips on marketing online, go to http://bit.ly/mY5FLi.

Michael Coudriet is CEO of Coudriet Media, an online marketing and design agency. He can be reached at (407) 965-2935 or via email at michael@coudrietmedia.com.

Publisher: Orlando Business Journal
Column Name: Savvy Online Strategies
Article Title: 6 Things I wish Momma Told Me About Social Media
Writer: Michael Coudriet
Issue/Publication Date: Sep 23-29, 2011

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