​The Dos and Don’ts of Social

Social media can seem a bit confusing to begin with, especially when you want to get it right for your business. That’s why we’ve put together a simple list of the main Dos and Don’ts of digital engagement.

Do…
 
…keep up the consistency
Be sure to keep all of your social channels up to date, preferably posting new content on a daily basis in order to stay relevant and retain the attention of your audience. Tweeting or uploading to Instagram every day might seem like a bit of a chore, but it’s certainly not impossible. Most of us spend a lot of time on our phones anyway, so why not put ten minutes aside to update your status or reply to customers? If this is still out of the question, there are plenty of helpful tools, such as Hootsuite and TweetDeck, which will allow you to schedule posts in advance.

…apply universal branding
Another thing to keep consistent is the branding across each social channel. This is especially important if you manage more than one account for the same business. Try to have the same or at least a very similar username on your Twitter page as you use on Instagram and Facebook – this cuts out confusion, making it easy for your customers to find you and remember your product. Furthermore, ensuring that all profile pictures and cover photos are the same or from a similar set will help to create a solid identity.
 
…start small
If you're completely new to social media, it might be best to start off with only one channel and eventually build up to two, three or more. Social media requires a lot of time and effort to become effective, so begin with a simple, popular platform such as Facebook or Twitter and see how you go from there.
 
…check yourself
Social media is a fast and instant way to share information, and that’s why we love it. However, this also makes it easy to fall into the trap of not thinking before you post, which can prove harmful to a business. Be sure to check your facts and perhaps revise your wording before publishing anything that may be controversial or come back to bite you. Bad spelling and grammar can also damage your reputation, so take care before pressing that publish button. Proofread two or three times, or even paste the text into Microsoft Word and use the spellchecker to help you find and rectify any errors. We all make mistakes of course, but with social media we have ample opportunity to remove them before communicating with the the world.

​Don’t…

​…shout 
Use capital letters wisely. No one wants to be yelled at, least of all potential customers. It might seem like a great way to grab someone’s attention, but use it too often and the Caps Lock will make you seem unapproachable, aggressive and downright rude.
 
​…abuse the hashtag  
Hashtags are a popular way of categorising updates and allowing a wider audience to view your posts. Having said that, many businesses misuse this digital tool, often resulting in messy and unintelligible updates that no one will bother to read all the way through. Take care to use a maximum of 2-3 simple and relevant hashtags per post, and only if warranted. If your post doesn’t need a hashtag, simply don’t add one. (FYI: Adding broad hashtags such as #business and #design rarely get any additional engagement these days.) 
 
​…get too bogged down in the analytics
Data and metrics are important to any business, but, as they say, Rome was not built in a day. Don’t dwell on your follower count too much; if you continue to post high quality content, your account will soon attract an interactive following.
 
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And one more for good measure:
 
Do…

​…get in contact if you have any questions about how social media can seriously improve your business, or if you’d like The Penguins to take over the reins for a very reasonable fee.