Antisocial Media: Is Your Online Presence Actually Bad For Business?

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Our top tips for making sure your business shines on social media

Holyrood PR Agency in Edinburgh shows why talk isn't cheapWE GET IT. The technological age and resulting explosion of social media platforms is exciting at best, frenzied and desperate at worst.

Just when you think you’ve grasped the concept of one site, it kicks the bucket before you’ve even had time to update your top bands (here’s looking at you, MySpace).

However, with as many people now using Facebook as there is living in China, social media is here to stay and businesses are all well-advised to climb aboard. At Holyrood PR, we are here to help. As early adopters of all things online, we understand the importance of getting it right.

In such a fast-moving and unforgiving social media landscape, lack of strategy, ineffective tactics and a basic lack of understanding can end up being damaging to your brand.

So here’s our handy guide which should keep you socially savvy when navigating the webosphere.


DO: FIND YOUR OWN VOICE
Part of the By A Wall series.It may sound obvious, but having a plan is paramount to social media success, so you’ll be armed with a clear idea of who you want to reach and why.
But have you stopped and thought about how you want to sound to those fans, followers and
subscribers?
Companies like Tesco and Innocent Drinks have triumphed on Twitter with their laid back, chatty and empathetic online personalities.
Others have made their mark with a more formal and businesslike approach. One thing is pretty certain though – snarky is unlikely to work for your business.
Develop a style with which your audience can easily relate – and stick to it.  It may initially be a journey of self-discovery, but once you know who you want to be, this really is half the battle.

DON’T: GIVE CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS THE COLD SHOULDER
You wouldn’t ignore a ringing phone or an irate email, so why choose to ignore a customer complaint via Twitter? For businesses, social media’s greatest asset is to bring you closer than ever before to customers – real time close. That means businesses like yours can quickly and directly engage in valuable and meaningful conversations with an audience. That’s an opportunity that should not be squandered.
In most cases, deleting negative comments is equally unwise.


DO: TAILOR YOUR POSTS
twitter-292994_640What can make social media all the more confusing is that each platform is diverse. Facebook has a more personal target and moves at a slower pace than Twitter, where the fast pace means users are looking for snackable news and instant gratification.
Bear this in mind when posting to different social media. While it is important for a business to have a broad online presence, posting the same message across multiple platforms is not the answer.


DON’T: TRY TO BE EVERYWHERE
Each site has a different demographic. So, think carefully about which network you want to use to break through the clutter and reach your target audience.
Trying to be on every platform is a recipe for disaster.
Work out where you are most likely to find the people you want to reach – then concentrate your efforts there. Even more crucially, make sure you are measuring the results.


DO: DELIVER VALUE AND ORGINALITY
Social-Media
If everyone is sharing the same stuff from the same over-rated sites, then what’s the point? Take the view that any content you share should strive to inform, educate or entertain.
Try to find that content on websites and blogs that are a bit off the beaten path – that has the added benefit of helping to keep you well read!
Best of all, create your own blog content. By writing with passion and authority about your field of expertise you’ll be amazed the opportunities (and personal satisfaction) it brings.

DON’T: REGURGITATE UNSUITABLE CONTENT
Many businesses make the mistake of filling their social media streams with heavy duty sales or marketing material.
That’s unlikely to fly on Twitter or Facebook, where people don’t really want to be sold to – so save it for your marketing brochures or fliers. Instead, find more interesting ways of telling the stories of your business.
Likewise, social media is called “real time” for a reason. It’s all about now.
Your followers want to know what is on your news agenda today. If what you post turns out to be months old, chances are your competitors bet you to it, posted about it months ago and consequently received all the attention.


DO: PRIORITISE QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
5684115572_55bc83414f_bUse restraint when it comes to your newsfeed. Yes, you have a story to tell and yes, people have followed you because they like what you do.
But constant, repetitive updates are likely to induce fatigue – and could have that former fan reaching for the “mute” option.
Don’t let enthusiasm veer into over sharing. Your followers will be much more likely to thank you for a less frequent diet of genuine quality material – rather than a torrent of sub-standard space fillers. 

DON’T: BE INCONSISTENT
Once you’ve developed your voice and discovered the kind of content your audience enjoys, it’s important to be there when they expect you to be.
A consistent posting schedule will reassure your followers that they can get value from following you whenever they choose to tune in.Of course, keeping your social media posts brimming with up-to-the-minute information can be challenging in a busy work environment. Tools such as HootSuite allow you to schedule your social media updates, thus posting all relevant content for you, punctually and reliably.
You might also want to check out working with experts like Holyrood PR to make sure you always have a packed editorial calendar of good stuff to share, while boosting your business.


Want the proof of the pudding? Then check out Holyrood PR’s social media presence

We practice what we preach. So please check out our own work on social media. We’ve been on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube much longer than most.

That lets us make a confident promise to clients that we know exactly how to help them get the most from sharing content as widely as possible across the social web.

We’d love the chance to show how our public relations services (including blogging and social media) could benefit your business. You can get in touch with us on 0131 561 2244. Or take a few seconds to complete the short form below and we’ll get straight back to you.

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