Important Precautions Every Brand Must Take On Social Media

Social media channels are nothing less than a boon for businesses. However, one must take certain precautions when posting on social media so as to not end up jeopardizing their brand. Here is a list of eight pointers you must always keep in mind when posting on your company’s social media channel:

Keep individual and professional views different

Your company’s social media page should always reflect its own tone and language. Do not broadcast your personal and political beliefs through your brand’s social media channels. Your personal views could hurt your customers.

Do not badmouth any person or company

In an attempt to make your brand look superior, do not get into the temptation of making a bad remark about your competitors. Not only it will spread negativity, but it will also cast a bad impression on your customers and prospects.

Pay close attention to analytics

The only way to measure the outcomes of your strategy is by studying your analytics. If your plans are going in the right direction, you can afford to follow the same schemes and even come up with new ones. But if your plans are not working, you will need to device new methods.

Do not concentrate only on selling

Steer clear of aggressive selling which is also called harassing. Instead of updating your posts just for the sake of it, provide valuable content to your users. Build a strong relationship with your customers so that selling takes place automatically. Ensure that you have a mix of useful and promotional content on your social media channel.

Do not use sourced images haphazardly

There is an abundant resource on the internet for images that have no copyright issues. If you still want to use an image that doesn’t belong to you, ensure that you mention proper credits and link it back to its owner. You can also obtain permission from its rightful owner before using it.

Pick the most relevant social media network

Always remember that quality is better than quantity. Establishing your brand even on one social media channel is a lot of hard work. So choose your medium carefully. Find out the most appropriate social media networks for your brand and formulate a strategy to create your presence there. Determining your target audience is a crucial step here.

Never be discurteous and vulgar

This one goes without saying. Being crass and arrogant could bring down the reputation of your company. Plus, the negativity spread by you could fetch counterattacks.

Do not ignore negative response

Social media is a two way conversation. You need to build a rapport with your users and engage them. You will receive positive as well as negative feedback from your customers. Learn how to respond to it properly.

Exercise these cautions and social media can prove to be an effective marketing tool for your brand!

[This is a guest post by Swati Bhargava, co-founder of CashKaro.com]

Note: We at Inc42 take our ethics very seriously. More information about it can be found here.