Outdated Social Media Strategies Could Wreck a Client’s Message
Social media has become one of the most common ways for someone to share their thoughts professionally and personally. For public relations professionals, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social platforms can be tools used to convey a client’s message to its target audience. Sometimes though, our personal social media habits can cross into the professional realm and inhibit our hard work. Although we think our efforts are moving the client forward, we may actually be tripping ourselves up by using techniques that don’t resonate with the target audience.
Many of the tactics professionals have developed with the growth of social media have become outdated and could ultimately turn away existing and new customers. A book that has recently caught our eye on bettering your social media skills, describes the detrimental behaviors. Here are some of the behaviors that stood out:
Provide content that can help users
Many brands are under the impression that once content is posted, engagement will occur on its own. Unfortunately this is not the case in most successful social media campaigns. People follow brands on social media because they are fans not because they want to talk each other. A great way to thank these dedicated fans is to provide them with helpful posts they could use on a daily basis. An example of this would be a post about alternative uses for a client’s product which benefit the consumer.
Relate to your target audience, but remain professional
Many brands don’t want to seem too corporate and conservative so they go to outlandish lengths to make their brand appealing to consumers. While this can be a good thing, far too often we see brands sharing inappropriate memes or making politically charged statements that could be viewed as offensive. Users can be easily influenced by a brand and it is important to make sure they are receiving the client’s message and not your personal thoughts or beliefs. It’s important to make sure posts are not only appropriate for the target audience to see, but the client’s image is protected.
Turn angry customers into avid supporters
It’s never a good thing to ignore negative comments and let animosity build. Face it, nobody’s perfect – not all customers are going to be happy with your product, website or what was written on the company blog. The way we respond to those customers though can turn an angry person into a fan for life. Any chance to engage with customers on a personal level is a golden opportunity to inject humanity into the conversation and reestablish their support. Choosing to respond to backhanded belittling comments like “you suck” or “dumb product” can be tough, but is beneficial to the client in the long run.
To read the eBook and see all 50 tips click here:
