Don’t be a Social Media Bore

First, make sure that everything you post on social media is something of value. Have you ever seen a successful brand leave a comment on a “regular” person’s Facebook page? Occasionally but not often, right? That’s because regular people tend to talk about regular things: where they ate for lunch, what their kids are doing, where they are going later. Brands that chime in on status updates like those do not represent themselves well. Of course, there is an exception: If the brand was mentioned (Twitter) or tagged (Facebook) in the post, then by all means it is appropriate for the brand to leave a gracious comment. Some brands also manage separate “Customer Help” or “How-to” social profiles, or dedicate one platform for the expressed purpose of that 1-to-1 interaction. The primary social media challenge that brands face is to make sure everything that is said to the audience is something of value.

Next, don’t be afraid to make things interesting – even if that means someone won’t agree with you. Isn’t that how you get people talking in real life? The same rule applies online. Any good social media agency knows this, and they will tell you not be afraid to speak up on occasion. Once in a while, it’s okay to stir a mild controversy for the sake of starting a conversation. Keyword: mild. There’s no need to be extreme. Just pick something that matters to your brand (not necessarily you personally, but to your brand), and broadcast it. A conversation is an exchange of ideas, and your brand must have ideas in order to be successful on social media. For more tips on social media success, check out other posts tagged as “Social Media” on the Crest Media blog.