We've all seen them -cringeworthy posts on social media that we wish we could take back for the other person.  I've had severe secondhand embarrassment for someone who posted a questionable status or photo on social media.  Selfie on a toilet anyone?  A completely insensitive joke with a hashtag #toosoon?  Now let's translate that to brands on social media.  Brands are not immune to social media faux pas.  There are a few safe bets when it comes to social media don'ts.

Do you have a social media presence? Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.? Do you also have a blog, newsletter, or email campaign of some sort? These should all tie in to each other! When you are promoting you, you need to be thorough. Make yourself overly available to your customers and clients. Do you want to lose business because someone couldn’t figure out how to connect with you on Facebook or how to get discounts that you might only give out with a newsletter subscription? I don’t think so. It’s incredibly important that you are accessible to your clients and customers and that you make being able to connect with you a no brainer to accomplish.

The first step in having a successful social media marketing campaign is having great content to share with the masses. But, what comes next? Distributing your content! I’ve been using and doing research on some sponsored options and most recently have been looking into LinkedIn’s Sponsored Updates. LinkedIn Sponsored Updates are a paid media option for sharing your messages with the right people. Is it something worth looking into? In my opinion, if you’re considering a business to business paid campaign option, I think it is. 

Let me start by saying –not every business needs to be on Instagram. I think we have a tendency nowadays, with all of these different social networks, to try to be everywhere, everyone, and everything. Instagram is slightly different than your average social media platform and, when used for marketing, it’s really used to show your business’ creativeness, humor, passion, etc. If you’re considering an Instagram account as a marketing tool for your business, ask yourself if your target audience is active on Instagram and, if so, have any of your competitors been successful with it? If so, then you should definitely jump in. There are a few basics that you should be sure to check on your list. Like any social platform used for marketing –you’ll have to take a step back and work out a plan, understand there is going to be some sort of testing and tracking phase, and expect a few kinks as you’re learning your way.

Social media management can turn into a total time suck if you let it.  Now, I'm not saying that you should stop spending time on your social media marketing, I'm saying that you should plan your time to work more efficiently.  Work smarter, not harder. We've all been sucked into the abyss that is Twitter.  We scroll, then click and read, click and read, click and read, look up and found that 4 hours have gone by and you're still sitting there in your pajamas.  That was a waste of time...

The old year is fading away, but social media marketing most decidedly is NOT. Facebook may tighten visibility again and the popularity of various platforms may wax and wane, but online engagement with your clients will continue to be an important part of your marketing mix. Are you failing to make the most of this opportunity?

The “build it and they will come” website hype has long gone. Now experts say social media “fans and follower counts are over.”  So has social media run its course or should it still be a line item in your company’s budget? Read on for the latest discussion on social media reality for the small- to medium- business owner.