Strategy behind a successful social media presence can feel like a foreign concept to most businesses. As the world of social media grows, it’s important that business owners and social media managers plan ahead in their strategy in order to provide the most value for their clients. For those businesses who are struggling, we’re here to provide a short list of things you should be doing and things to avoid when you are building your brand on social media. 

3 things you should NOT do:

• Post personal opinions

In most cases, you’ll want to keep personal opinions out of posts that come from your business. This is because there’s a high probability your followers have a diverse set of beliefs and opinions, and promoting one side of a controversial topic may alienate the other side in your follower base. This is often seen with political posts and several other topics, sometimes leading to a bad reputation, customer loss, or even a breach in the terms of service of the social media platform. Sometimes, though, it is the decision of the business leader to take a stand on a controversial subject or when they spot inappropriate engagement from their followers. You do this knowing that your business could take a hit from those that don’t agree, but it is important to you.

• Lose sight of your uniqueness and authenticity

Balance is best when it comes to creating diverse content. Your followers will grow tired of reading the same call-to-action every week. They won’t care about every single product or service you provide. It’s okay if you don’t share every single part of your business on social media—however, there is a happy medium. Throw in a success story every now and then, or show off some behind-the-scenes action. Not every post needs to be perfect, but creating relatable and authentic content will show your followers that you can relate to them in a way that will create unique relationships. 

• Bash the competition

The occasional fun, friendly banter with your competitors is okay and entertaining for followers on social media, but don’t make a habit of bashing your competition. Doing so can create a bad reputation for your business. In most cases, you will become associated with making these negative comments more than your competition. 

Now that you’re prepared with the things you should not be doing on social media, here are three things you SHOULD do:

• Be consistent

Be sure you only share content that is consistent with your business; personal content is meant for your personal profile. There is some grey area when it comes to personal content, but the vast majority of your posts should be relevant to your business. 

At Thrive, we create a monthly content calendar to ensure consistency for our clients’ accounts. You may also consider picking a day (or two or three) you want to post. Make time for this in your schedule (it can be 5 minutes), and make sure you’re posting consistently every week. Keeping up with the schedule can feel a little overwhelming at first, but the first step is simply showing up. When you post consistently, your audience and social media algorithms will know when to be watching for your content. 

• Provide value

Quality content can make or break a business. Adding value can include things as simple as empowering your followers, providing education, or even offering a free resource of information. 

• Engage, engage, engage

The most important thing you should be doing on social media is engaging your followers. Engagement is the essence of all social media algorithms. Without engagement, your audience will have a hard time growing. You have to show up, connect with your followers, and create relationships with them in order to create credibility for your business and your brand. Failing to do so is what prevents many businesses from expanding their following and building their brand.

Following these tips will help your business create a more impactful social media presence. This can help create unique relationships, a loyal following, and even provide opportunities your business never thought possible. By following these tips, we’ve set you up for success in beginning your business’s social media journey.