These days your business’ social media presence is as important as your website. We’ve put together 10 social media dos and don’ts to help you to become a social media superstar.

Is social media driving you mad? Are you driving people mad online? Time to change!

Social media is the new phenomenon for businesses. It allows us to connect with the players in our market, build brand loyalty and most importantly, gain customers. But, when used improperly, social media can be a dangerous platform for businesses to ruin their reputations.

We’ve put together a list of 10 social media dos and don’ts…

1. Don’t use social media purely as a selling tool. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and ask, “Why would I engage with this brand on Facebook?” Often, the answer is not, “So I can buy stuff from them.” Of course, the ultimate goal is to sell to the customer, but social media is much more effective when used as a customer service tool. Turning dissenters into advocates in a public way can be fast, easy and accountable. As a consumer, you get heard by everyone and receive rapid service. As a brand, you can prove you care, go the extra mile and that you are listening. Before long, managing customer service over social media is going to become the standard expectation.

2. Answer questions. Interacting with consumers not only provides great customer service, but can also be a way of developing a FAQ within your industry. If someone asks a question and you know the answer, share it.

3. Respond quickly. Your Facebook fans can be your biggest brand champions – or your worst enemies if you ignore them. If someone posts a comment on your page saying that your company took great care of him or her, be sure to express your thanks. Showing that you’re listening and appreciate feedback can encourage other fans to engage with you. And don’t simply delete negative comments about your company. Take each one as an opportunity to turn that critic into a fan and potential customer. Respond quickly and address the issues. Let the critic know you’re fixing the problem and perhaps offer a discount on a future order. Also, you might tell the person to expect a call because you want to make sure the problem is corrected.

4. Have a constant online presence. What’s the point in spending so long establishing yourself on social media just to ignore it? Once you establish your presence on Facebook, you must remain active to achieve your social media objectives. If you fail to post regularly, you can appear to be disinterested and lose your fan base. Instead, provide a certain amount of time each day – preferably multiple times a day – to post quality content and engage with current and potential customers.

5. Don’t be boring  A boring post is anything that lacks your unique personality or perspective. Giving a fresh perspective on an old topic or going against the status quo is what gets noticed. So ask yourself how you can infuse your own character or sense of humour within each post. This is the essence of branding; the last thing you want to be is forgettable.

6. It’s not all business. The reason why celebrities have such a large online following with seemingly little effort is because social media provides a personal insight into their lives, which humanizes them. Why not tweet about personal experiences in your life? If something catches your attention, it’s probably going to catch the attention of others, too. So why not share it? Interesting content is more likely to attract your customer’s attention, and is also more likely to be shared.

7. Share your wisdom. Social media is fantastic for building up a brand loyalty and reputation. Share your favourite quotes from sports heroes, military leaders and artists which can teach us about innovation and leadership, which are essential to business success.

8. Don’t be a spammer. Think of your Facebook page as your shop front. What kind of image do you want to project? Do you want to be that person who constantly talks about how great his or her product is and what a great discount he is offering this week? No, you shouldn’t. Convey your personality and expert knowledge, and provide your customers with valuable insights. It isn’t wrong to occasionally let people know about a new product or a sale, but don’t be a spammer. If you want to promote something new, be subtle and creative. For instance, try taking a how-to approach or offer useful tips to get across your message. People don’t want to be sold to every second they’re on Facebook, but they do appreciate free information and advice.

9. Don’t forget about Linkedin. Although Facebook and Twitter can be effective, Linkedin is the place you should be driving your business to. This makes sense because it’s mostly used by business people for business purposes. Networking with sales in mind is more natural on LinkedIn. On Facebook? Not so much. But if you’ve approached your Facebook strategy with the conversion in mind, you’ll see much greater traction than if you just “engage” and cross your fingers.

10. Remain professional at all times. It can be tempting to add a smiley face now and again and other means of social media jargon (e.g. LOL). Social media is a public forum so everything you post can be seen by anyone. It is still a representation of your brand. Although you may think you’re being friendly, social media slang will come across as unprofessional and juvenile. Think about how long it has taken you to develop your brand and reputation. It can be damaged in minutes with social media.

We hope this helps you to become a social media superstar!

The S4B Team