4 Mistakes That Can Harm a Company's Social Media Campaign

Anyone leading a corporate social media campaign would be wise to heed a few dos and don'ts.

Even the most savvy social media maven can at times become confused over the best activities to pursue. Yet many of the activities to avoid (or do in moderation) relate to basic etiquette: Sloppy manners that don't work in the real world will most certainly hamper a company in the virtual world as well.

To reap the desired rewards when putting in all the effort to communicate about a company on social media sites, avoid these four activities:

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1. Don't post only on Facebook. With Facebook's recent changes affecting the organic reach of posts, companies definitely need to consider other options. Ultimately, a company should tap the social media channels used by the target market of potential customers. If an organization wishes to reach young women interested in gourmet food and fashion, say, then Pinterest is the best platform to use. Conversely, a company need not have a presence on every social media network.

2. Steer clear of shock tactics and tall tales to attract eyeballs. Avoid posting inappropriate photos. Do not tag people in posts and images solely to draw their attention. It is like typing a message in all capital letters and constantly using exclamation points. This turns people off.

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3. Never inundate new followers with direct messages. And stay away from blatant promotion. People will see right through such efforts, and the social media campaign will never gain traction. Instead communicate, build relationships and nurture them, be a well-wisher and pay it forward.

4. Don't go overboard in setting up a workflow and automating social media tasks. People can easily discern the difference between automated messages and ones crafted by an individual seated before a keyboard who's taking the time to craft posts that make readers think, laugh, ponder and comment. If the company's Twitter stream is filled solely with promotions and lacks replies and retweets, then the campaign is missing the mark.

After serenading and romancing the company's audience, have a plan to convert followers' responses and goodwill into customer leads and then sales. Not having a strategy to take social media relationships to the next level can hold a business back.

And remember use of social media is no substitute for optimizing all the company's online content for search engines. Optimized posts can bring organic traffic to a business' social media profile and its website. Indeed, these days a company's Facebook pages and Twitter profiles might land on the first page of search-engine results when someone searches for the organization's name.

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