You’ve been told there is a right way and a wrong way to market your business online. But in reality, there’s no one-way to do things. As social media professionals, we follow practiced and measured strategies that create a digital presence in front of an audience, as well as engage that audience. But sometimes, we break the rules when we see something that works, even if it may be out of the ordinary. If you’re running social media for your business, try bending these common social media “rules” and test out what works for your company!
Your company page should be strictly professional.
When it comes to certain platforms, lighten up! The message you’re sending out does not have to be solely professional or informative. Use channels like Facebook and Instagram to show off your company culture and let your personality shine through. Twitter can also be a great platform to have genuine conversations that go further then reciting facts about your brand. As long as you are being appropriate and staying true to the image you would like to portray online, there is nothing wrong with getting a little personal sometimes.
You must use the same brand voice across every channel
The voice you use online should be in line with your brand, but should also cater to the particular audience on that channel. For example, you would most likely want to stick to professional language when conversing with other businesses on LinkedIn, but your audience on Instagram might be younger and call for a more conversational approach. You don’t have to mimic the verbiage you use on every channel, but rather mix things up depending on the following you have on each platform.
Don’t repeat posts
Whether you’ve been told you can’t post the same image twice, or that you can’t cross-post similar content on your different channels, be more open minded about your content strategy. You never want to duplicate every post onto each channel, but repurposing content is fine when done sparingly and appropriately. On channels like Twitter, there are hundreds of thousands of tweets sent out every day. No one follower will see every tweet you publish. Feel free to take a look at your most popular tweets that tell an “evergreen” message and re-post to reach a wider audience. Plus, if you’ve found that golden post, milk it for what it’s worth and splash it on most or all of your platforms. For more tips on how to share content, such as your blogs, across different channels, check out our guide on how to repurpose like a pro!
You should be using every platform
Not all platforms were created equal, and that’s okay. There are more than a handful of effective social media platforms to choose from; it’s all about selecting the right ones for your brand. Study your target audience and create a plan to reach them. Which platforms are your potential customers using? Once you identify that, launch a strategy to use a few platforms successfully, rather than spending your time on every platform.
You need as many followers as possible to be successful
Followers are important, but it is the quality of your followers, not the quantity that truly matters. This all comes down to Facebook’s algorithm. If you have filled your Facebook page with followers who are not engaged in your content, this is only going to hurt your reach and will not result in the leads, sales, or awareness that you seek. Having fewer, quality followers will help spread your message to your specific target audience and grow your channel organically. You’ll find an audience who is interested in your message and the authentic followers will come.
Rules aren’t always meant to be broken, but in some cases, there’s an exception. Running social media for your company should be a fun and effective way to market your business, don’t feel like you are being held back because of the “rules” others follow. Everyone’s experience on social media is different, and an effective social media strategy is personal to your company’s story. For more help developing a strategy for your business, check out the social media services we provide here.
