Debuting last month, this is the Social Media Corner. I hope you enjoyed the Google+ review. This month we're going to discuss the etiquette of Facebook and some best practices.
By Samantha Scott, APR
Etiquette is important on and offline. As a result, Alex Fernandez, social media strategist at our office, developed a few key points (a dos and don’ts list) to help you manage the content for your businesses Facebook Page. While many of us (via our personal Facebook profiles) are representatives of the brands we work for, proper social etiquette is a must, even when we’re off the clock.
DO NOT: Constantly self-promote.
DO: Provide a variety of different types of content, balanced with some promotional elements. We are using the social space to build relationships not be sales-y so use a 4:1 ratio. That means for every four interesting, useful, creative posts you make, you can post one promotional or sales driven post.
DO NOT: Invite me to everything.
DO: Be wary of over-inviting people to your events, meetings, groups, etc. All of these actions result in a notification message being sent to other Facebook users. It’s important to keep the 4:1 ratio when inviting your fans.
DO NOT: Post about every part of your day. TMI!
DO: Post useful, engaging content. This may seem like common sense, but we’ve all seen posts about someone that is bored, going out to the store, etc. While this probably won’t drive people away, how does it help build relationships? It’s business. Don’t forget.
DO NOT: Exhibit unrestrained braggadocio.
DO: Plug yourself, every now and then, using discretion. Since it doesn’t actually help your users, it’s important to keep your kudos in check. This is probably a good place to note that liking your own status isn’t fooling anybody.
Other suggestions would include personal updates on your Farmville status, inappropriate language or images, etc. Just remember, this is the digital face of your brand (aside from your website) and proceed with caution.
Posts
