(Part II of a Three-Part Series)
Having a social media presence is something that clients expect nowadays – it’s considered table stakes. In fact, a lack of it usually rings alarm bells. But simply having a social media presence is not enough; you need to know how to use it properly and stay on top of best practices.
We’ve shared some helpful social media do’s last week. This time around, we’ve rounded up the things that you should NOT do on social media.
1. Do not confuse your business account with your personal account.
Give your business accounts a personal touch – be entertaining and engaging – but never overshare your personal life. It may come back to bite you. Learn to distinguish between business posts and personal posts.
Pro tip: Occasionally post about your business via your personal account. This will keep your friends and network aware of your business.
2. Do not use every social network. Stick to 3 or 4 that your target audience use.
Myth: Businesses need to have a strong presence on each channel.
Not every social network will deliver results for your business. Setting up profiles across all channels just for the sake of having a presence there will dilute your brand. Know where your audiences are and dedicate time and effort to grow those pages.
Pro tip: It is better to establish yourself as an industry expert on a few channels rather than spreading yourself too thin and having little to no impact at all.
3. Do not spam and use the same image/caption over and over again.
Post frequently but avoid saturating your audience’s social feeds. No one likes spammy content.
Speaking of which, strive to match the right content to the right channel. If you must share the same image in other channels, tweak your caption. What works on Facebook won’t always work on Twitter. The tone you use on LinkedIn is not suitable for Instagram or Pinterest. YouTube is another story. And so on.
4. Do not talk about yourself all the time.
Have your heard of the 80-20 rule? Dedicate 80% of your content to what interests and engages your audience. Some of the things you can post are lifestyle content, neighbourhood-related news and events, tips for staging homes, tips for moving, and home decor trends. The remaining 20% could be about your brand story and milestones, your listings, or your life as a big-hearted and awesome Realtor.
5. Do not overtly sell.
Focus on helping rather than selling. By offering solutions to problems instead of just pitching your listings all the time, you’re proving that your brand is an authority. This will be more beneficial to your business in the long run.
Pro tip: Social channels are cracking down on the use of engagement baits. Refrain from using this tactic as it will significantly reduce your reach and hurt your social media efforts.
6. Do not WRITE IN ALL CAPS, use too many exclamation points!!!
‘Nuff said.
7. Do not get negative or unprofessional.
Strive to create a positive footprint. Social media is NOT the place to gripe about your day. Don’t engage with haters and trolls; battling them is a lost cause. When you receive a negative comment, keep an open mind, and start a dialogue with the client who has had a bad experience.
8. #do #not #excessively #use #hashtags.
Hashtags play an essential role in content discovery and amplification. However, overusing hashtags to reach a wider audience does more harm than good. Not only will your posts annoy potential followers. They will also get buried under a huge pile of content that uses similar hashtags, or worse, get penalized by the social channel’s algorithm.
Stay tuned again next week as we will be covering some important reminders to keep your social media game strong. In the meantime, join the conversation in the Fraser Valley REALTORS® Network.
Source: FVREB Communications