Social media is an ever-evolving marketing platform with regular changes in rules, shifting audience demographics and new channels. Whether you are trying to grow a new brand, or working at maintaining your company’s presence on social media, the constant changes can be overwhelming and sometimes overshadow the simplest rules. Shift Communications recently posted an article titled “4 Social Media Commandments for 2015 (and Beyond)” where they recommended four “commandments” to follow to help you stay on track:
1. Thou shall not talk about yourself 24/7. It is never fun to constantly listen to someone talk about themselves. Social media shouldn’t be used to solely promote yourself, your company or your product; it should be a place where you build relationships.
2. Thou shall not use 50 hashtags per social post. Hashtags can help your company gain more exposure, engage with others who have similar interests and allow you to be part of a trending topic. However, using too many hashtags will not only distract your audience, but it also looks amateur and sloppy.
3. Thou shall not join social networks that have nothing to do with you. Some brands can find a way to fit in on every channel, but is it necessary? Honing in on the channels that are most popular with your audience will keep you from wasting time on sites where your company won’t reap the benefits. A little research will help you find out what platforms your customers are using the most.
4. Thou shall use your head before posting. This is something you would think is a no- brainer, but time and time again we’ve seen major brands, political figures and celebrities make major social media faux pas. You can’t ever take something back once it is online, so think before you post.
While this list can be greatly expanded, these four easy-to-follow rules will help you appropriately navigate your social media strategies while trying to keep up with ever-changing world of social media.