What Not To Do On Social Media

Social media. In theory, it should be fun and simple. That does not mean that there isn't strategic planning that goes into the content you see. Whether you are a new entrepreneur or a veteran business owner, here are five things you should never do on social media. 

1. Only promoting your product/services. Don't be selfish. Be a resource of information, not just a seller. 

2. Posting all your content at once. While it can be tempting to post all your new content at once, don't do it. You will annoy your audience and will likely end up with a few less followers.  There are several scheduling tools that allow you to schedule your posts to go live at optimal times. Hootsuite, Buffer, and Tailwind are just a few great examples.

3. Going hashtag crazy. Hashtags are great, but they come at a price. Use too many and you look spammy. Use to few and you lose out on a higher audience. The key is to use a mix of hashtags related to your industry, related directly to your post, and to what your ideal client is checking. 

4. Never engaging with your audience. Social media is meant to be social. When your post receives comments, comment back. Like and comment on others' posts as well. 

5. Going off brand. The easiest way to avoid this is to have your brand statement and brand styling board in your sight when creating your posts. 

Why Your Follower Count Doesn't Matter

Remember when social media was just about fun posting and informing your followers on what was going on with you? Long gone are those days. Somewhere along the line, everyone became obsessed with how many followers they had. It has only been fueled by the programs that allow you to buy followers. But here's the thing - they aren't going to help your business. 

This is one of the most misunderstood elements of social media. Your follower count does not matter. You could have 10,000 followers but if most of them are spam or not your target client,  what's the point?  

So, what DOES matter?

How many of your followers are your ideal client. 

What good are your 10,000 followers if only 200 are people who are actually interested in your product/service? Your ideal client is actually reading your posts and watching what you are doing. The others? Not interested. 

It can be easy to be caught up in the follower number game, but do yourself a favor. Ignore it. Focus on providing content that your target audience will love and connect with. If you do so, your business will reap the benefits.