Social networks are for communication, not solicitation

Many marketers and brand ambassadors are still trying to figure out this whole social media marketing thing. Yeah, we all know about Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Myspace, but how do we use them? How does social media marketing fit into the scheme of things?

I recently had a friend come to me trying to figure out how her company could get on Facebook. She said “I put together a profile, added some photos of our store and listed some of our specials. I also started tweeting our specials every hour.” As many of us already know, tweeting a special every hour is going to do nothing but lose customers. The fact of the matter is, this has been a common practice for many brands. Many businesses small and large, are still having trouble getting a grasp on how to use social networks to benefit their brand and their consumers. Below, i have put together a short list of Do’s and Don’ts of social media marketing.

DO’s

Participate in the conversation- This is a great opportunity to listen to your customers and respond to questions/concerns.
Keep your profile fresh- a social presence is good, but can be detrimental if you don’t manage it and keep it up to date.
Ask questions- tell your customers you want to hear from them, you’ll be surprised at how many actually want to talk.
Add friends and followers- be real with this one. Add friends and followers that are relevant and in your industry.
Share discounts- This is not solicitation, however these people have taken the time to get to know your company, the least you can do is give them a little something back. It will result in more loyalty down the line too!
Keep them updated- Let them know whats new in the industry. This is a first hand opportunity to let them understand your position on industry related news.
Be consistent- Your brand has a voice. Make sure that voice carries through in your social media marketing efforts. You dont want to have different people managing different profiles with different points of view.
Have a plan- Social media is going to become part of your business model and thus it is important to consider factors such as whose going to setup and monitor profiles, post content and determine what kind of content to post.

Don’ts

Don’t Solicit your customers- They have given you front row seats to their opinion. Don’t scare them away with a bunch of advertisements. You’ll have the opportunity to creatively incorporate “deals.”
Don’t be tardy- If they ask you questions, respond in a timely matter. Don’t give them the idea that business with you will consist of poor communication.
Don’t talk too much- There is such a thing as too much information. Only include content that you feel your customers will find interesting and relevant.
Don’t start fights- If you disagree with a customer, keep it private. Distinguish the situation publicly and continue the conversation in private.
Don’t mass follow/add friends- This will get you no where. It will just erode the credibility of your brand.
Don’t start until you understand- Reserving your vanity URL is one thing, but don’t start creating a face for your company until you understand it and how to properly use it to communicate with your customers.