The top 10 dos and don’ts of social media marketing

Do you have a social media marketing strategy in place?

Having a social media presence as a business is expected by most consumers, but just being on the platforms isn’t enough. A lot of planning, strategy, and creative development goes into every successful campaign; it can get overwhelming. Knowing how to use it, staying on top of best practices and trends, and making sure you’re yielding a strong ROI are just a few things you have to look out for when managing social media.

We have years of experience as a DC social media marketing firm across a range of industries.

We’ve compiled the top 10 dos and don’ts of social media marketing based on our expertise and experiences.

1. DO – Ensure you have a sustainable strategy

Strategy yields results, period. When you have a clear roadmap of what to do and how to do it, you’re going to have a much better outcome than if you just wing it, especially with social media. This is where content pillars come in. These are 3-5 topics that your business will base content, tone, and voice around on social media. These pillars not only give you clarity but keep you consistent and help to build your overall brand. Using your pillars also makes creating content more manageable.

2. DO – Schedule your content

There is no social media without social media posts, and for businesses, consistency with those posts is key. Using a scheduling platform like Hootsuite, Agorapulse, or Sprout Social will make scheduling your posts a lot more streamlined. Plan and set your content, and you’re good to go.

TIP: Schedule at least two weeks of content at a time so that if something unexpected comes up in your schedule, you don’t sacrifice your social media.

3. DO – Edit your visual content

There’s a lot of content in front of people now. How do you get your audience to stop and focus? Since eyes are drawn to attractive and engaging content, this has to be a priority for a successful campaign. Take the time to capture good photography and make new videos, and then edit and perfect the creative for the best results. Photo and video editing can greatly impact whether your content skyrockets or flops, so making sure you have someone with video and photo editing experience is crucial.

4. DO – Influencer Marketing

Love them or hate them, influencers definitely move the needle. According to Hubspot, 71% of marketers say that the quality of customers and traffic from influencer marketing is better than other sources. This is a newer realm of marketing that’s only taken off in the past few years, but it can make a huge difference in your business. If you are partnering with someone who aligns with your business’s values and branding, then you’re reaching an entirely new set of potential customers that value that person’s opinion and likely also align with your brand.

Finding these influencers, making sure they’re a good fit, and organizing everything that goes into the partnership is the hard part; having experienced professionals run it for you can take the stress away.

5. DO – Use your stats… and watch for algorithm updates

A certain post didn’t do well? Take a look at your numbers and they could shed some light on why. Social media analytics can give you everything you need to know about optimal posting times, what kinds of posts do better, and better frame who your engaged audience is. Knowing all of this can help you get the most out of your content. Are most of your followers online at noon on Wednesday? That means more eyes will be on your post on that day at that time, so take advantage.

Something that normally performs well flop? Have you had lower engagement lately? Make sure that you follow algorithm changes to ensure your social channels continue to grow.

6. DON’T – Post too frequently

46% of users will unfollow a brand or business that is posting too much according to Sprout Social. Posting too often can be just as, if not more, harmful than not posting often enough. A rule of thumb to go by when growing your audience is 3-5 posts a week… as long as they are high-quality posts that also provide value.

7. DON’T – Forget to check spelling and grammar

Social media is designed to be a fun, relaxed, and engaging atmosphere, but that doesn’t mean you can ditch the professional side completely. Make sure your posts look and sound polished at all times.

8. DON’T – Ignore the data

The data is there for a reason, so use it. You can boost your social media presence, refine your content, and up your engagement by simply looking at and understanding the numbers. It’s not all about likes; for example, you should also focus on reach, views, saves, and shares.

9. DON’T – Purchase followers

This is another seemingly quick fix to make your page seem popular, but it can hurt you in the end. When you purchase followers, you’re purchasing bots that will not interact with your page. This can actually reduce your engagement because while you may have 15k followers on Instagram, you’re getting minimal likes and comments on your posts, and people will notice.

Not only can that hurt your engagement, but our experience tells us that it subconsciously makes your business less trustworthy to potential customers or clients.

10. DON’T – Try to do it all yourself

Social media is a job on its own, and in order to have successful social media pages that bring in new business, you have to take the time and know what you are doing. Allowing a social media marketing firm with experience take the reins will help you more in the long run, make your page more successful, and will free up more time for you to focus on your business.

Do you need help getting the most out of your social media campaigns?