Social media don’ts

MANILA, Philippines – Just because you can post anything in the social media channels does not mean you can, most especially with corporate accounts.

Not a few people have been axed for an inappropriate tweet or a compromising Facebook post—the most recent in memory was a single insensitive tweet about AIDS by a public relations spokeswoman before her trip to Africa.

Upon her arrival, she was greeted with torrent of protest and a notice of termination from her employers.

“If you have employees who are using social media it is very important to have a social media policy in place,” writes social media marketing consultant Stephanie Frasco in SocialMediaToday.com.

She advises entrepreneurs to have an open policy for social media and one with rules.

“If your employees make you look bad, you have to be ready for the backfire,” she adds.

Frasco stresses few important don’ts that may save your business from bad reputation and PR down the line.

“Don’t be selfish—a selfish social business only talks about itself. Don’t take shortcuts—buying followers is not going to get you anywhere. Don’t steal images—beyond the moral aspect of stealing there are serious financial pains that will come along with it.”

And finally, she cautions: “Don’t be afraid of haters.”

“The good thing is that you are given access to insight that wasn’t available years ago. This allows you to respond when needed and evaluate your operations as necessary.”

Then there are the basic social media tips from Forbes.com: “Don’t over-market, be social—the use of straight ‘marketing messages’ rarely works. Over-advertising in a social space is never socially acceptable.”

Forbes.com warns of being automated too much: if your social media post looks like: RT, RT, RT or your Facebook page looks like advertising stream then something is awry.

“Failing to interact with audiences—by holding contests (if brand-appropriate), asking questions, and replying to followers’ posts—is a big mistake many companies and brands make.”

Learn more about social media and how you can make it work for your brand! Visit www.imadigitalmarketer.com or call 927 0096 / 0928 506 5382.