We’ve already talked about some incredibly embarrassing social media blunders made by big brands, and they all seem to have one ingredient in common: no one really took the time to consider all of the potential ramifications that the social media post could create before deciding to share the content.
To help keep your company’s reputation intact, a social media management best practice is to ask yourself these 6 questions before posting on social media:
1. Did you take the time to proofread your post and use spellcheck?
There’s no question that being sloppy with spelling and grammar in social media posts will hurt your brand’s credibility.
Always have a second set of eyes look over your posts before publishing them.
However, if no one else from your social media management team is available to double check you, read the post aloud as it can help you to identify any errors.
If you are going to tag someone in your post, make sure that you tag the correct person.
Also, try a neat spell checking extension for google chrome, Grammarly.
2. Did you include an image or video to help attract attention?
Considering that the brain is able to digest visual content much faster than text, incorporating a photo or video into your social media post can help to more effectively communicate a message and capture your audience’s attention.
Not only should you be sharing high-quality visual content, but you’ll also want to keep it relevant to your brand and audience’s interests.
Great opportunities to use visual content in a social media post include funny “caption this” images and impromptu behind-the-scenes images. Since you want to keep things professional, you’ll probably want to avoid posting selfies.
3. Did you include the correct URL in your link?
You’ll definitely want to include links in many of your social media posts, ideally back to your website or blog.
All too often, though, businesses don’t include the correct URL in their links.
This is a quick way to turn away an interested party and lose credibility with your audience.
4. Did you incorporate relevant keywords and hashtags to maximize exposure?
Obviously, you want to incorporate keywords and hashtags naturally into your social media posts so that they don’t come across as spammy or read awkwardly.
Your social media posts have the potential to create tremendous exposure for your brand, especially when you are taking advantage of relevant keywords and hashtags.
Just be sure to carefully research hashtags before attempting to use one.
5. How many times have you already posted on social media today?
If you plan on keeping your followers on social media, you’ll want to avoid posting content too often.
Check out this guide that will tell you how often your business should post on social media.
6. Does your social media post offer either educational or entertainment value?
If not, you’ll want to re-think your social media post.
Your goal should always be to deliver value to your audience, and educational posts or those that provide a relevant source of entertainment make the most successful social media posts.
A thorough social media management strategy can prevent your business from getting into a sticky situation.
If you’re serious about enhancing social media management for your organization, please be sure to download our free ebook that shares our exclusive strategy for successfully growing our clients’ online presence.
