Social Awkwardness: 7 Deadly Sins for Your Small Business

Let’s be honest: not everyone can be a social media guru. If you’re a small business owner, you can be an expert in your industry, but social media is a completely different playing field – and the game is constantly changing.

By now you might have heard it a hundred times, “Your business needs to be on social media!” While it’s true that there are many ways to skin a cat, before you go tweeting and sharing content, you should know there are a few practices to avoid on social media at all costs. We like to call them the 7 deadly social media sins:

1. Creating a Facebook page for the sake of it

Nowadays, people seem to grab a page on Facebook like they would buy a domain. It’s like it is on some new business checklist: Get domain, get incorporated, get a phone line, get a Facebook page…NO! Instead of looking at a Facebook business page as something to check off your to-do list, make a plan for yourself. Do you plan to post frequently and engage with an audience? Having a Facebook business page with no content is like having a reception desk in your office without a receptionist – it’s rather useless. If you’re going to create a Facebook page for your business, be conscious about sharing updates with clients and customers. Even if you don’t have the time, you can hire someone to get the job done for you. *cough Ferocious Media cough*

2. Don’t use a personal page for business.

We’ve all seen it – Chuck’s page all of a sudden becomes XYZ Jewelry, and we know we did not hear of nor like a page for XYZ Jewelry. Beyond this, there are several reasons why turning your personal Facebook page into a business page is bad news. (A) Your Facebook friends will get confused (B) You won’t benefit from the perks that come with a verified business page and (C) Facebook can disable your account. If you’re not sure how to set up a personal business account, turn to Facebook’s help center or your trusted social media expert here at Ferocious Media.

3. Avoid posting the same content across the board

What works for one social media channel might not work for another. Your posts should be tailored to the platform it is being placed on. I.e.: just because you uploaded a YouTube video doesn’t mean you should share the link on Facebook, Twitter, and your blog then check off your social media work for a day or two. Social platforms favor their native options – try uploading the video file directly to Facebook and Twitter and see how impressions and engagement change (for the better!).

4. Shy away from clickbait headlines

Clickbait headlines in a nutshell are aimed at generating online advertising revenue through misleading words. We’ve all seen it before: “You won’t believe #7! I was shocked!” Not only does this come off as unauthentic to your followers, but the latest Facebook algorithm fails to favorite this type of content from news feed. The better course of action is to share accurate and informative headlines that make people want to click the link and read more. In other words, your content should be just as stellar as your headline.

5. Don’t buy your friends.

Having an entourage gets expensive – just ask every broke movie star and sports icon. When you stop paying for them, they suddenly leave. The same thing happens in the world of social media. Not all of your followers are true fans – they could be there by accident, or because they fit some marketer’s profile that was built for you. It’s possible they also accidentally hit the Like button on an ad when scrolling through news feed.

6. Don’t overuse the hashtag

A paragraph of hashtags is unappealing to your followers no matter how differently you might think. Oftentimes it comes off as being desperate for likes and other types of engagement (#It’s #soannoying #botherspeople #stopit #omg). Instead, try to incorporate them into your caption as seamlessly as possible – but don’t sweat this one too much.

7. Stay away from politics.

It seems like recently, politics are the constant trending conversation on social media – but regardless of your beliefs, politics can be a touchy subject. So by all means, post your opinions on your personal page if you feel compelled, but unless you’re looking to insult or lose your fanbase, stay neutral or don’t post about it at all. That is, unless it pertains to your business, of course.

At the end of the day, you want your company to benefit in very specific ways through your social media assets. A strong social presence will allow you to communicate effectively to your current and potential customers, enhance your overall web presence, and hopefully become a subject matter expert in your field. In Glengarry Glen Ross, Alec Baldwin said, “Always Be Closing,” but he didn’t mean that to apply to social media. Remember, engagement leads to loyalty, and loyalty will lead to sales. Inform. Educate. Engage. Good things will happen down the road… Scout’s Honor!

If setting up social media for your business sounds like a handful, hire a credible digital marketing team to help you get started, set goals, and choreograph your postings according to said plan. At Ferocious Media, we’ll never just create a Facebook page for the sake of saying you have one – we’ll create fresh content and constantly monitor your digital campaigns to ensure your business is seeing the best possible results.

To learn more about our Social Media Marketing Campaigns as well as other services that we offer, explore our website or contact us, today!