10 Things To Keep Off Your Company Social Media Profiles
You got a new cat? That’s adorable! You don’t like how Joe conducts business? That’s too bad. You just figured what “lol” means? Well it’s about time! Guess what: if you’re trying to tell me any of this via your business’s social media platform, it’s going to cost you current viewers, potential customers, and your credibility.
It can be difficult to think of original and witty content for your site, but something to grab a reader’s attention and make them interact with your company, but if you attempt to generate interest in any of the following ways, you’re bound to lose followers and generate the wrong kind of interest.
10 Things Not to Share on Your Company’s Social Media Accounts:
Confidential Company Information. If your business is facing impending layoffs, that’s not an appropriate topic to mention in your Facebook post.
Gossip. A business profile is your company’s public image. By talking negatively and openly about other businesses or people, you’re tarnishing the reputation of not only them, but you and your business as well. Being rude to others doesn’t make your company any better, it just makes your company meaner.
Too Much Talk About Others. When you share another company’s information (e.g. in the form of a blog post), it can help boost your credibility by portraying you as a key player in the industry. However, if you do this too often, it can drive customers away from your site and into the arms of the competitor you’ve been endorsing.
Personal Posts. It’s fun and engaging when you create a post that seems more human than computer generated. However, when you begin mentioning your weekend parties or troubles with a significant other, you’ve quickly crossed from professional into personal, and it’ll be tough to regain your authority.
Exaggerations. Instead of claiming you can solve any problem with the slightest of ease, stick to mentioning what specific services you excel at so you don’t get caught in a lie.
The Same Posting Templates. If your topics are varied, but your sentence structure all looks the same, no one will need to follow the company to know that you’re just providing another boring comment. Keep the topics varied but also change the structure to something more interactive, instead of the typical “Today, let us help you advertise”, mix it to a simple “Advertising got you down? Let us lift you up!”.
Self-Promotions. The whole point of having a social media account is to show off the greatness of your business. So instead of directly saying it, show it by listing testimonials, helping others, and providing a list of your services.
Too Many Pictures. So you’re smart enough to avoid Tweeting a picture of your new cat from your company’s Twitter account, but if you rely too heavily on pictures to sell your company, it’s hard for viewers and potential customers to get a clear understanding of your message.
Too Much Information. You already have the followers; don’t scare them away by posting 5 new business updates before lunch. Opt for 1 to 2 posts throughout the day and keep the information light and conversational.
Text-Speak. I’m not talking about computer jargon like SEO; I’m talking about abbreviated text or phrases that can cause your credibility to plummet. It may be acceptable for a teenager to text their friends, “C u l8r lol!!!!”, but if anything near that phrase ends up on your business’s social media account, you’re in trouble.
As long as you post quality information related to your business’s area of expertise while avoiding these 10 pitfalls of social media usage, your viewers will look forward to the innovative and valuable information they can gain from following you on social media.
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GTECH Designs is a Baltimore-based web marketing firm that is committed to helping impact-makers spend more time doing good. For more information, contact us at 410-775-4100, email us at [email protected], or get in touch with us via Facebook or Twitter.
