Did you start your business successfully offline and now it’s time to start with social media marketing? Here are four easily followed social media rules to grow your business online…

4 Social Media Rules For Business – How To Follow The Rules Of Social Media Etiquette

When it comes to running a small business successfully, there are many responsibilities you need to juggle. Sure, there are plenty of business administration online programs that you can enroll in to learn important aspects of running a company, but there are also some things, such as social media marketing, that you need to learn by doing and by keeping up with the latest trends.

This article outlines:

  • Rules for using social media
  • Social networking rules for business owners
  • Best practices for using hashtags

Especially at the beginning, this is a great list of tips to keep in mind every time you make a post to connect with your audience.

Let’s explore the top social media rules for growing businesses…

Don’t Automate Everything

Automation tools can be really handy when you are promoting your business online, but you should only rely on social media automation when it’s appropriate. When you are interacting directly with your audience, for example, it should really be you or a designated social media coordinator, not a robot (bot).

There are unwritten rules of social media etiquette – this is one of them.  Avoid too many automated messages on Facebook and Twitter and avoid automated Instagram comments. Your customers will be able to tell when it is a human being engaging with them and when it’s an automation tool.

Share Content With Caution

Say you’ve come across an entertaining meme and you want to share it with other people. Before you do, consider whether that meme is truly appropriate for your audience. Also, consider the source of the meme and whether or not it is accurate. If you choose to share it, it should fit:

  • Your brand
  • Your business’ voice
  • Your company image

And it should be something that your audience will not find offensive. Just as you wouldn’t want to share a controversial opinion that could turn some customers off from your business, you need to use caution when sharing memes on social media.

Don’t Overdo The Use Of Hashtags

Hashtags could definitely help get your posts in front of more people, but it is wise to use them sparingly. Choose your hashtags carefully as well, making sure that they are relevant to your post and your business niche.

Put simply, use them to get your messages in front of your target audience to acquire more followers and to be part of online conversations that matter.

Respond To Comments and Messages In A Timely Fashion

If your customers are interacting with your business on social media, that is a good thing!  Your goal should be to keep them engaged.  Do this by responding to their comments and questions. 

Whether customers are sending you direct messages or leaving comments on a post, reply to everything in a timely fashion.  Show that you are paying attention by liking the comments as well.  It is always a good idea to showcase your fantastic customer service by replying to an unhappy customer and making things right.  But also be attentive and take things to email if it is something not quickly solved.

Social Media Rules – A Few Final Words

As you begin to understand and implement the rules of social media for businesses, you will begin to use those platforms in a way that will really make your business stand out among the crowd. That is important because there is a lot of competition out there and social media platforms are saturated with so many messages from so many brands.