We've all seen them. The ubiquitous online contact form. On the surface, these forms seem to be a convenient way to collect and distribute initial contact data. If you've had a website with a contact feature for any length of time, you likely have one of these types of forms on your site.
From a website owner's perspective, these things are great. Deployed properly, they can help reduce spam email and triage client contact. Gathering a few important details (name, email, phone, etc.), can better prepare your team to speak with these new potential clients.
But from a customer's perspective, the view is different. Online forms can be seen as an impersonal form of contact. They get in the way. When a customer has a question or wants to contact you about the services you provide, the online form tells them the following:
1. You're too busy to talk to them.
An online form that collects data becomes a black hole where a customer inputs their information and it disappears into the void. If your customer has a question or concern, or wants to hire your company, they want an answer. If the client is contacting you during normal business hours, the expectation is that you or someone else will be able to talk to them. If someone is sending you a contact email, they have reached the point in their purchasing decision where they're looking for specifics. Putting a form in their way stops the purchasing process in its tracks.
2. You don't trust them.
The use of CAPTCHA technology, those squiggly words and numbers that separate man from machine, are used to help limit the types of website attacks perpetrated by things called "spambots". These automated hacking tools scour the web to find open email addresses, and then inundate them with spam email. Spam email is a real threat—viruses are often embedded within them, so that when they're opened, nefarious things can happen. However, that's your problem, not your customers'. What you tell your customers when you force them to use this technology is that your comfort is more important than their ability to easily contact you.
There are a few simple ground rules for opening email. First, most commercial email hosts (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) have firewalls built in. They will detect what is likely spam and quarantine it for you. Your "junk" folder is a graveyard of these types of emails. It's important to check your junk folder often. Spam quarantine software isn't foolproof. And if your business is consumer-based, you will receive emails from people you don't know. Become email savvy. If someone tells you they want to send you $9 million from Nairobi, or wants to give you a way to meet local singles, or wants to give you free software, etc., those are bad. If an email seems like a legitimate contact, but has been quarantined, send a fresh email to the address to confirm. Or, if the contact has left a phone number, call them.
3. You're too big (or small) to help them.
This is another unintended consequence of an online contact form. Think about the last time you needed information from the IRS or the Social Security office, or a large bank. If you go through the online contact process, it's very similar to the chaos of an automated phone answering system. Press 1 for English, press 2 for Swahili... You have no idea where the form is going, when you'll be called back, or if you'll be called back. The same process works in the opposite direction. Many micro-businesses use this type of solution to help triage their incoming correspondence. There may not be anyone available to answer a direct email, or a phone call.
The general rule in website development for the past decade has been the use of these forms. Recently, however, many users are electing to abandon them. Why? Because they're not as secure as we've been led to believe, and they alienate customers.
What's the alternative? If you can't collect initial data from a client, how do you know what they need? Here are a few techniques that are so old-school that they're not even retro anymore. But they work.
1. Encourage phone contact.
Yep, the old standby. Giving your customers the clear and attractive option of calling you or your team directly, whenever they need you, sets you above your competition. We all get busy—a ringing phone can seem like a personal attack on your day. But a five minute phone conversation can not only solve a problem, it can reinforce a relationship. If a customer has a problem, solving it immediately will defuse the ticking time bomb. Forcing them to send you a form and then waiting for you to get around to answering them can bring even a tiny issue to a boiling point. Answer the phone promptly. If you can't, have a message on the phone that lets customers know how quickly you'll get back to them. And follow through. Most business phones have a flashing message light. Treat that light as if you were the bomb squad diffusing the big one. The faster the light goes out, the better the outcome.
Answering the phone and returning calls promptly (within the hour), is the basis of any successful marketing strategy. All the advertising in the world won't help you if you don't return a call. Just as a professional, friendly greeting by staff when a customer visits your store or office is the front line of your marketing plan, so too is answering calls.
Consider the value of a live operator. If your customers have to work their way through a maze of "press 1 for sales, press 2 for support", they will be discouraged. A voice on the other end, no matter how inconvenient for you, is convenient for them.
2. Provide direct email addresses.
Web development philosophy for years has been to mask or hide all open email addresses. This has been done, legitimately, for security purposes. However, the ability for your customers to contact someone directly via email outweighs any potential security or spam-related inconvenience you may face.
If you have multiple departments, provide a direct email to each. And then answer them, either by email or, preferably, by phone, and within a very limited time.
I appear to be brushing web security aside in this post. That's not the case. Having your email hacked is an inconvenience. Having your website hacked can be devastating. If your business relies on its website for any type of contact, you need to ensure your website hosting company is legitimate. Commercial hosting companies have server "farms" located across the globe, which can deflect web attacks by switching to a different location. Security for commercial web hosting companies is high and dependable—it has to be. The type of data stored on these servers is crucial. If you have a blog site, or if your website is inconsequential to your business, use one of the discount hosting companies. Security is important. It's also worth more than $3 per month. If you choose the right hosting company, it's not your problem.
The basics of marketing come down to this—when someone calls, answer. When someone has a problem, fix it. The basics of marketing have nothing to do with your logo or your website or your sign. It has to do with how you and your staff treat people.
The litmus test is this—would you want to do business with you?
Marketing your business comes down to a single question - what does your customer need you to do? Award winning marketing and design expert Jeff Rosenplot offers practical, in-the-trenches advice for businesses of any size, and budgets to match.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
The Pitfalls of Public Comments
Your friend on Facebook posts something about some topic. It doesn't have to be controversial. Maybe they've asked for advice on a specific product or service. You make a comment—something you'd say to your friend in private, maybe something rude or off-color. No harm no foul, right?
Let's do some math. I have a relatively small Facebook social circle—just 132 friends. I keep it small by choice, but the average Facebook user has about 500 friends. Depending on their age, they can have more—(younger skews bigger, older skews smaller).
One of my friends has 2,608 friends of his own. By making a comment on his post, my words and my thoughts have the potential to be shared with over 2,600 people, most of whom are strangers. Let's say I've made a derogatory remark about a person, a company, a product. It doesn't matter whether or not my post is factual. For many people, this one off-the-cuff post can mean the difference between using a particular service or buying a particular product. Social media is touted as being democratizing—it is, largely. But in any democracy, not only do we have rights, we have responsibilities.
Let's say that all 2,600 of this friend's friends read this post and my comment. Let's also say that four additional people, each with 500 friends of their own, commented on this post. Suddenly, my comments have reached nearly 5,000 people. That single comment that was made as either a joke or in the spirit of a private comment to a friend has exploded into a sphere of influence exponentially greater than I could ever have imagined.
As a business owner, you begin to see the impact a single negative comment can have. A majority of people, especially younger people, rely almost solely on social media for their product recommendations. As a platform for unfiltered, reliable feedback, it is unrivaled. But a single negative experience has the potential to spiral out of control. Before social media, word of mouth consisted of a small circle of people—physical influence was much smaller than virtual influence. And even if someone had a horrible experience with a company, they'd only share it with a small group over a short period of time. Social media (and the web in general) is permanent. It's the real permanent record your high school guidance counselor kept telling you about.
As a business owner who is also a member of society, your actions online can have far-reaching implications. Let's say you've made an off-color comment about some political or social issue. Using the same math, your single knee-jerk remark can define you to a huge number of people. Strangers. Customers. Potential employers. Your banker. You have no way of knowing.
The virulence of social media is akin to a pandemic. Once it begins, it's very hard to stop. Here are a few simple tips to help keep your business (and yourself) out of hot water online.
1. THINK BEFORE YOU POST.
Use the "Rule of Mom". Would you say what you're about to say if your mother was sitting beside you? Unless your mother is known for her colorful language or off-color remarks, this litmus test will usually guide you.
2. DAMAGE CONTROL MEANS YOU'VE SCREWED UP.
If your business is in the position where it needs to do damage control, or you're getting overwhelmed by negative comments, it doesn't mean the Internet is out to get you. It means something's wrong in your organization. Do a process walk, which follows your business through every interaction to help determine where things are breaking down. Your goal is to identify customer touch points. The first place to look for the breakdown is where your customers interact with your organization. Once you've identified it, fix it.
3. IF YOU WANT TO SAY IT, SAY IT IN PERSON.
Here's a novel idea—pick up the phone. If you have virtual friends, they likely started as physical friends. A comment on a Facebook post, no matter how witty or insightful, pales next to actually picking up the phone and spending twenty minutes catching up. If you must remain digital, private message them or send an email or Skype with them.
4. BEWARE THE SHARE.
We've all seen them—the ubiquitous cartoons or witty graphics. As a business person, simply sharing something implies complicity. For instance, if you share something about drinking heavily, no matter how funny or cute, you have the potential to gain that reputation simply by association. You are what you share—it's the reason why most people share things. It defines your interests, is in tune with your sense of humor, etc. Even on your private social media pages, you never know who's watching. I have friends who are clients, and I have friends who are friends with clients. Chances are, you do, too.
5. WITH FRIENDS LIKE THAT...
Facebook has a great feature that allows you to confirm what is placed on your timeline. Sometimes the comments that damn you are not the ones you make yourself. We have different types of friends, probably from different phases of our lives. The person we are now may be very different from the person we were in college, or high school. You wouldn't bring your college drinking buddies to a client meeting. Be selective about what you let onto your timeline.
6. CLEAN HOUSE.
With all of this in mind, what do you have right now on your Facebook page? Take some time and go through your timeline. Look at your videos and photos. Is the beer pong shot from college really how you want to present yourself?
The goal with this post is not to sanitize you. Part of what makes social media as vibrant as it is, is the individuality of the pages and the posts. If the video of you doing belly shots in Vegas is something that defines you, that's great. But keep in mind that the video may be doing just that—defining you. Once you connect with other people, you have little control over what happens next. Being aware and being cautious may not make you the most interesting person on Facebook, but it will definitely help keep you in business.
Let's do some math. I have a relatively small Facebook social circle—just 132 friends. I keep it small by choice, but the average Facebook user has about 500 friends. Depending on their age, they can have more—(younger skews bigger, older skews smaller).
One of my friends has 2,608 friends of his own. By making a comment on his post, my words and my thoughts have the potential to be shared with over 2,600 people, most of whom are strangers. Let's say I've made a derogatory remark about a person, a company, a product. It doesn't matter whether or not my post is factual. For many people, this one off-the-cuff post can mean the difference between using a particular service or buying a particular product. Social media is touted as being democratizing—it is, largely. But in any democracy, not only do we have rights, we have responsibilities.
Let's say that all 2,600 of this friend's friends read this post and my comment. Let's also say that four additional people, each with 500 friends of their own, commented on this post. Suddenly, my comments have reached nearly 5,000 people. That single comment that was made as either a joke or in the spirit of a private comment to a friend has exploded into a sphere of influence exponentially greater than I could ever have imagined.
As a business owner, you begin to see the impact a single negative comment can have. A majority of people, especially younger people, rely almost solely on social media for their product recommendations. As a platform for unfiltered, reliable feedback, it is unrivaled. But a single negative experience has the potential to spiral out of control. Before social media, word of mouth consisted of a small circle of people—physical influence was much smaller than virtual influence. And even if someone had a horrible experience with a company, they'd only share it with a small group over a short period of time. Social media (and the web in general) is permanent. It's the real permanent record your high school guidance counselor kept telling you about.
As a business owner who is also a member of society, your actions online can have far-reaching implications. Let's say you've made an off-color comment about some political or social issue. Using the same math, your single knee-jerk remark can define you to a huge number of people. Strangers. Customers. Potential employers. Your banker. You have no way of knowing.
The virulence of social media is akin to a pandemic. Once it begins, it's very hard to stop. Here are a few simple tips to help keep your business (and yourself) out of hot water online.
1. THINK BEFORE YOU POST.
Use the "Rule of Mom". Would you say what you're about to say if your mother was sitting beside you? Unless your mother is known for her colorful language or off-color remarks, this litmus test will usually guide you.
2. DAMAGE CONTROL MEANS YOU'VE SCREWED UP.
If your business is in the position where it needs to do damage control, or you're getting overwhelmed by negative comments, it doesn't mean the Internet is out to get you. It means something's wrong in your organization. Do a process walk, which follows your business through every interaction to help determine where things are breaking down. Your goal is to identify customer touch points. The first place to look for the breakdown is where your customers interact with your organization. Once you've identified it, fix it.
3. IF YOU WANT TO SAY IT, SAY IT IN PERSON.
Here's a novel idea—pick up the phone. If you have virtual friends, they likely started as physical friends. A comment on a Facebook post, no matter how witty or insightful, pales next to actually picking up the phone and spending twenty minutes catching up. If you must remain digital, private message them or send an email or Skype with them.
4. BEWARE THE SHARE.
We've all seen them—the ubiquitous cartoons or witty graphics. As a business person, simply sharing something implies complicity. For instance, if you share something about drinking heavily, no matter how funny or cute, you have the potential to gain that reputation simply by association. You are what you share—it's the reason why most people share things. It defines your interests, is in tune with your sense of humor, etc. Even on your private social media pages, you never know who's watching. I have friends who are clients, and I have friends who are friends with clients. Chances are, you do, too.
5. WITH FRIENDS LIKE THAT...
Facebook has a great feature that allows you to confirm what is placed on your timeline. Sometimes the comments that damn you are not the ones you make yourself. We have different types of friends, probably from different phases of our lives. The person we are now may be very different from the person we were in college, or high school. You wouldn't bring your college drinking buddies to a client meeting. Be selective about what you let onto your timeline.
6. CLEAN HOUSE.
With all of this in mind, what do you have right now on your Facebook page? Take some time and go through your timeline. Look at your videos and photos. Is the beer pong shot from college really how you want to present yourself?
The goal with this post is not to sanitize you. Part of what makes social media as vibrant as it is, is the individuality of the pages and the posts. If the video of you doing belly shots in Vegas is something that defines you, that's great. But keep in mind that the video may be doing just that—defining you. Once you connect with other people, you have little control over what happens next. Being aware and being cautious may not make you the most interesting person on Facebook, but it will definitely help keep you in business.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
The Three Bears Approach
The web is filled with marvelous and wondrous technology that changes and grows on a regular basis. How do you determine how much is too much for your clients?
Consider the Three Bears approach - you remember the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The first bowl of porridge was too hot, the second too cold... you get it. When you're building or upgrading your website, the Three Bears approach comes down to three options—is it too much, is it too little, or is it just right?
Your customer isn't always Goldilocks. Sometimes your customer is Papa Bear. Sometimes it's Mama Bear. Each have different needs—hot porridge and cold porridge. There's no single "just right" approach.
As with everything in your marketing plan, the question of how much is too much is answered by your customer. A tech-savvy, youth-targeted site requires all the bells and whistles. Your customer expects it, and your competition provides it. If your market is older, or your clients aren't techies, you may not need as much techno-pop.
Here are three questions to ask that will help determine the level of wow required on your website:
1. What type of site are you trying to build?
Most websites are informational—an online brochure. They're a way to provide a way for prospective customers to contact you and to learn about your services, skills and those special things that set you apart. We call those "static websites". They're not necessarily "static" in the sense that there's no motion on them. Slideshows, videos, etc., can and should be a part of them. But the information is relatively constant, and users are required to contact you or visit your location to complete the transaction.
Dynamic websites can include e-commerce sites (where you're selling products or services online), video upload sites, etc. These are more robust and are designed for continuous engagement with the user. Similar information to a static site is available, but the main thrust is some form of ongoing interaction.
2. Who is your customer?
Age is often the determining factor when asking this question, but not always. Younger customers are more likely to want to make a purchase online (if appropriate), but older customers (including senior citizens - surprise) will also use these types of sites. The more appropriate question to ask is, what does your customer expect to be able to do with the site? If you sell a product or service, does your customer expect to be able to order it online and have it delivered or confirmed without having to make a phone call? Or are customers using your site to gather additional data or comparison shop prior to making an in-person purchase or acquisition of services? Ask the question from your customer's point of view, not yours. You may not have considered selling goods online, but your customer may need that.
3. Who is your competition?
This is a trick question—your competition is everywhere. Don't just look at the shop down the street—look world-wide. The web has opened up competitive markets you may not know exist. Being aware of what your competition is doing will help you determine what you need to do. It can also give you research into new customers you may not have thought about. Competition isn't a bad thing. At least, if you stay competitive.
Building a website properly from the beginning will allow you to develop it for current-state as well as future-state. The web constantly changes. New technologies emerge and new standards are introduced. Examine your site regularly. Look at your competition. Ask your customers what they want to see. They'll be your best judge. And listen to them. Developing a higher-end website than you currently have may cause you to incur an expense, but not doing so means you're losing customers. And what's the cost of that?
Consider the Three Bears approach - you remember the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The first bowl of porridge was too hot, the second too cold... you get it. When you're building or upgrading your website, the Three Bears approach comes down to three options—is it too much, is it too little, or is it just right?
Your customer isn't always Goldilocks. Sometimes your customer is Papa Bear. Sometimes it's Mama Bear. Each have different needs—hot porridge and cold porridge. There's no single "just right" approach.
As with everything in your marketing plan, the question of how much is too much is answered by your customer. A tech-savvy, youth-targeted site requires all the bells and whistles. Your customer expects it, and your competition provides it. If your market is older, or your clients aren't techies, you may not need as much techno-pop.
Here are three questions to ask that will help determine the level of wow required on your website:
1. What type of site are you trying to build?
Most websites are informational—an online brochure. They're a way to provide a way for prospective customers to contact you and to learn about your services, skills and those special things that set you apart. We call those "static websites". They're not necessarily "static" in the sense that there's no motion on them. Slideshows, videos, etc., can and should be a part of them. But the information is relatively constant, and users are required to contact you or visit your location to complete the transaction.
Dynamic websites can include e-commerce sites (where you're selling products or services online), video upload sites, etc. These are more robust and are designed for continuous engagement with the user. Similar information to a static site is available, but the main thrust is some form of ongoing interaction.
2. Who is your customer?
Age is often the determining factor when asking this question, but not always. Younger customers are more likely to want to make a purchase online (if appropriate), but older customers (including senior citizens - surprise) will also use these types of sites. The more appropriate question to ask is, what does your customer expect to be able to do with the site? If you sell a product or service, does your customer expect to be able to order it online and have it delivered or confirmed without having to make a phone call? Or are customers using your site to gather additional data or comparison shop prior to making an in-person purchase or acquisition of services? Ask the question from your customer's point of view, not yours. You may not have considered selling goods online, but your customer may need that.
3. Who is your competition?
This is a trick question—your competition is everywhere. Don't just look at the shop down the street—look world-wide. The web has opened up competitive markets you may not know exist. Being aware of what your competition is doing will help you determine what you need to do. It can also give you research into new customers you may not have thought about. Competition isn't a bad thing. At least, if you stay competitive.
Building a website properly from the beginning will allow you to develop it for current-state as well as future-state. The web constantly changes. New technologies emerge and new standards are introduced. Examine your site regularly. Look at your competition. Ask your customers what they want to see. They'll be your best judge. And listen to them. Developing a higher-end website than you currently have may cause you to incur an expense, but not doing so means you're losing customers. And what's the cost of that?
Friday, February 1, 2013
The Rules of Social Media
Contrary to popular myth, even the Internet has rules. Social media is no exception. As a business operating a social media page, you have the ability to either effectively increase your market reach—or do irreparable harm. Here are the basics on the do's and don'ts of operating a business social media page.
1. KNOW YOUR MEDIA TYPE
Facebook is very different from Twitter. Pinterest and Google Plus are also unique. LinkedIn is a totally different animal. It's like talking to people from different parts of the country. There are ways of doing things and presenting information that varies between all social media venues. Twitter has a character limit - the most effective posts on Twitter are brief. Twitter users are used to brevity. They don't want you to be wordy. Facebook is more conversational. Facebook is relationship-based. Google Plus is similar. Pinterest is essentially a photo sharing showcase, so it's much more visual. LinkedIn is the professional social network—largely underutilized by businesses. There are literally thousands of social media venues. Each has its own vernacular. It's important to learn the dialect before you try to fit in.
2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
This is not only true for social media, but for marketing in general. Unless you know who you're talking to, what they're interested in, and what will turn them off, you can't create effective posts. What is of use to your audience? What will they be interested in seeing from you? They're choosing to follow you for a particular reason. Discover that reason and tailor your posts to them.
3. YOU'RE A GUEST IN THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA FEED
Just like going to a dinner party, you are a guest in your potential audience's house. They've invited you in because they want to hear more from you. Just like going to a dinner party, you need to bring something. The proverbial bottle of wine in this case is information. You need to establish yourself as the recognized expert in whatever you do. How do you do that? It's different for each industry, and for each social media page. Don't be looking to sell, at least not all the time. Unlike traditional advertising, you don't need a constant call to action. Your social media page (if designed properly) will have all the information necessary for a follow up. Provide information your users can use. Get in, get out, and don't annoy your followers. Short, clear, insightful posts will make you sound like you know what you're talking about. Because you're the expert.
4. IT'S A SOCIAL NETWORK
The goal in using any type of social media is to increase your reach virally. This means that your user likes your post enough to share it. Once it appears on your user's social media feed, all of their connections can see what you have to say. If their friends like you, and they share something informative that you posted, you will be much more likely to be followed by your users' friends. This is the goal. Social media is about making connections in new and unique ways. While it is possible to sell products via social media (and many businesses do this), it's not the primary focus. Social media is and should be used largely as brand building. Your goal should be to remain at the top of mind of your users.
5. CHECK YOUR SPELLING, GRAMMAR AND SYNTAX
There is nothing more distracting than a business social media post that contains errors. If necessary, get someone to proofread your posts before making them public. You may not care about spelling—but your users do. This one is a simple fix at which many businesses, usually small businesses, fail.
6. CREATE A POST SCHEDULE
Unless your posts are based on events that are happening in real time (and this is a good use of social media—keeping up with things in real time), you can put together a post schedule in advance. Facebook allows you to schedule your posts in advance using their Activity Log feature. If you can make use of this, and most businesses can, do it. It keeps your social media in motion without having to dedicate resources to posting at a particular time. When creating a post schedule, look at what your users need. Is your business seasonal? Look at a calendar to see key dates when people will be most likely to be thinking about your services.
7. MORE IS NOT ALWAYS MORE
Think about the junk email you receive as a business owner. Deleting messages from the same sender multiple times a day is not only a time waster, but makes you less likely to ever consider using that vendor. The same is true with social media. You don't need to blast your message out ten times a day. A well-written, well-timed post 3 or 4 times per week can do more good for your business than a bunch of desperate messages throughout a day. In social media, it's about quality, not quantity.
8. PLAY NICE WITH THE OTHER KIDS
Never, ever insult a client on your social media feed. Never, ever complain that no one's coming in to your shop today. And if you receive any negative feedback on your social media page (which is one of the reasons why you are engaging in social media activity—you want your users to get involved), never, ever argue with them. You have the ability in a public forum to solve the problem. Recognize that you have an audience watching you. Most customers will remember the problems they had if you don't immediately make it right. It's always worth giving a little to make the customer feel they were heard. And don't take anything personally. This is business, not personal. Leave the attitude at home. And finally, no matter what, don't complain about your customers or your business on your personal social media. Once it's out in the world, you can't get it back.
Effectively managing your business social media can be a full time job. You don't have to have a presence on every single venue. Start with your customer—what do they want you to do?
1. KNOW YOUR MEDIA TYPE
Facebook is very different from Twitter. Pinterest and Google Plus are also unique. LinkedIn is a totally different animal. It's like talking to people from different parts of the country. There are ways of doing things and presenting information that varies between all social media venues. Twitter has a character limit - the most effective posts on Twitter are brief. Twitter users are used to brevity. They don't want you to be wordy. Facebook is more conversational. Facebook is relationship-based. Google Plus is similar. Pinterest is essentially a photo sharing showcase, so it's much more visual. LinkedIn is the professional social network—largely underutilized by businesses. There are literally thousands of social media venues. Each has its own vernacular. It's important to learn the dialect before you try to fit in.
2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
This is not only true for social media, but for marketing in general. Unless you know who you're talking to, what they're interested in, and what will turn them off, you can't create effective posts. What is of use to your audience? What will they be interested in seeing from you? They're choosing to follow you for a particular reason. Discover that reason and tailor your posts to them.
3. YOU'RE A GUEST IN THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA FEED
Just like going to a dinner party, you are a guest in your potential audience's house. They've invited you in because they want to hear more from you. Just like going to a dinner party, you need to bring something. The proverbial bottle of wine in this case is information. You need to establish yourself as the recognized expert in whatever you do. How do you do that? It's different for each industry, and for each social media page. Don't be looking to sell, at least not all the time. Unlike traditional advertising, you don't need a constant call to action. Your social media page (if designed properly) will have all the information necessary for a follow up. Provide information your users can use. Get in, get out, and don't annoy your followers. Short, clear, insightful posts will make you sound like you know what you're talking about. Because you're the expert.
4. IT'S A SOCIAL NETWORK
The goal in using any type of social media is to increase your reach virally. This means that your user likes your post enough to share it. Once it appears on your user's social media feed, all of their connections can see what you have to say. If their friends like you, and they share something informative that you posted, you will be much more likely to be followed by your users' friends. This is the goal. Social media is about making connections in new and unique ways. While it is possible to sell products via social media (and many businesses do this), it's not the primary focus. Social media is and should be used largely as brand building. Your goal should be to remain at the top of mind of your users.
5. CHECK YOUR SPELLING, GRAMMAR AND SYNTAX
There is nothing more distracting than a business social media post that contains errors. If necessary, get someone to proofread your posts before making them public. You may not care about spelling—but your users do. This one is a simple fix at which many businesses, usually small businesses, fail.
6. CREATE A POST SCHEDULE
Unless your posts are based on events that are happening in real time (and this is a good use of social media—keeping up with things in real time), you can put together a post schedule in advance. Facebook allows you to schedule your posts in advance using their Activity Log feature. If you can make use of this, and most businesses can, do it. It keeps your social media in motion without having to dedicate resources to posting at a particular time. When creating a post schedule, look at what your users need. Is your business seasonal? Look at a calendar to see key dates when people will be most likely to be thinking about your services.
7. MORE IS NOT ALWAYS MORE
Think about the junk email you receive as a business owner. Deleting messages from the same sender multiple times a day is not only a time waster, but makes you less likely to ever consider using that vendor. The same is true with social media. You don't need to blast your message out ten times a day. A well-written, well-timed post 3 or 4 times per week can do more good for your business than a bunch of desperate messages throughout a day. In social media, it's about quality, not quantity.
8. PLAY NICE WITH THE OTHER KIDS
Never, ever insult a client on your social media feed. Never, ever complain that no one's coming in to your shop today. And if you receive any negative feedback on your social media page (which is one of the reasons why you are engaging in social media activity—you want your users to get involved), never, ever argue with them. You have the ability in a public forum to solve the problem. Recognize that you have an audience watching you. Most customers will remember the problems they had if you don't immediately make it right. It's always worth giving a little to make the customer feel they were heard. And don't take anything personally. This is business, not personal. Leave the attitude at home. And finally, no matter what, don't complain about your customers or your business on your personal social media. Once it's out in the world, you can't get it back.
Effectively managing your business social media can be a full time job. You don't have to have a presence on every single venue. Start with your customer—what do they want you to do?
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