Introduction
Social media is a powerful tool for businesses, but it isn't always easy to use effectively. That's why you need to be careful about what you post and how you interact with your customers and potential clients on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. This article will help you avoid common mistakes that can damage your brand reputation online:
Choose Your Social Media Platforms Carefully
Choose your social media platforms carefully. Before you start a new account, make sure that the platform is right for your brand, audience, goals and budget.
If you're launching a new product or service and need to reach a broad audience quickly, Facebook may be the best choice for you--it's free and has millions of users worldwide who are likely to be interested in what you're selling. But if you have an older brand with loyal customers who skew older than 35 years old (like me!), then Twitter could be more appropriate because it tends to attract younger audiences than Facebook does. If space is tight on your website but time isn't an issue at all (or vice versa), consider creating separate pages instead of linking back-and-forth between two social networks' websites -- this way visitors can easily find everything they need without having multiple tabs open at once!
Avoid the Pain of Follower Backlash
Don't be afraid to apologize. If you have made a mistake or your followers feel as though you have, don't be afraid to admit it. You will find that people will appreciate the honesty and respect your brand more for having the courage to admit when it has made an error.
Don't make false promises or claims about yourself or others in your industry that aren't true just because someone wants them to be true so badly that they might believe them anyway (e.g., "I can get you access inside any nightclub in New York City" or "I'm going on tour with Justin Bieber this summer"). These kinds of statements can come back around on social media--and when they do, it's not pretty!
Avoiding these types of situations altogether is easier said than done, but there are ways we can help protect ourselves from making mistakes like these:
Keep an Eye on Who's Talking About You
You can use social media monitoring tools to keep an eye on what people are saying about you online. These tools allow you to search for keywords, topics and even sentiment in real time. Once you've found something interesting, the tool will show you who is talking about it so that you can reach out directly or respond publicly if necessary.
Social listening is different from traditional listening because it includes both positive and negative feedback from customers and other stakeholders. The goal of social listening is not only to gather information but also take action based on that data; this means that when someone leaves a bad review on Yelp or Facebook (or even mentions your brand by name), there should be some kind of response plan ready for deployment within 24 hours of its publication."
Don't Let Your Competitors Hold You Back
When it comes to social media, don't let your competitors hold you back.
If they're holding an event or offering a promotion that seems like it could be a good opportunity for your business, think twice before participating in the same way as them. You may want to do something different and stand out from the crowd instead.
Don't let competitors get in the way of your brand's progress and growth! If there are any ways that they can slow down what you're doing on social media (or take away some of its importance), then make sure not give them any opportunities to do so by keeping up with what's new and innovative within this field at all times.
Don't let your social media reputation stress you out.
Don't let your social media reputation stress you out.
You are not alone in this. The vast majority of businesses have had a bad review at some point in their life, and they survived it just fine. Don't panic if you have a bad review--there are ways to handle it, but panicking won't help anything!
If someone has posted something negative about your business or brand on social media, don't be afraid to ask for help from other people who understand what's going on (like an attorney). You've got this! And don't feel guilty about asking for advice when it comes to legal matters (or any others).
Conclusion
Remember, your social media reputation is a reflection of your brand. If you take the time to build it and maintain it, you'll be able to make sure that people see only what they want to see when they come across your business online. With all the different platforms out there today, it can be easy for someone to miss important information about what makes your company unique--but if you keep at least one eye on each outlet where people might talk about their experiences with your brand (and how many followers those people have), then nothing will go unnoticed!