I am sure, if you are like me, you like to keep things simple and easy, especially as life is, so busy trying to run a business, home life and maybe if you are lucky, getting five minutes to yourself, to read a magazine.  And if you have guidelines on what and how NOT to post on social media, then that is one less worry, true? Here are generally the topics and issues, I feel are best avoided, to keep your business presence online on the right track and know what to post for a business on social media: Ok! This is a bit like Top of the Pops (tell me you remember the chart show called “Top of The Pops”).  Actually, don’t tell me your answer…

“So… At Number…:

10.  Sharing other posts that could be spammy or not true.

There is nothing worse than seeing a post that has a headline that draws you in and when you click it, it is not what you expect.  I hate when that happens, as I feel duped as I trusted the headline. This is not good for your business as the person who clicked it will lose trust in what you have posted and then lose trust in you.

9.  Tagging the wrong people, business or location or not at all.

So you have this post, of say an event, with a great photo and you tag a person, or business or location, but it ends up you have tagged the wrong person, business or location or you didn’t bother to tag at all.  This can annoy those you tagged wrongly and those who you should have tagged, as being unimportant. Plus, it makes you seem to others, as not caring about what you have posted.

8.  Posting terrible images and videos.   

People are more engaged with posts that have images or video.  For example on Twitter, tweets with images and video always stand out and more likely to be re-tweeted. But it is necessary to make sure that any images or videos posted are of a really good quality and eye-catching. Fuzzy images or videos are a real turn-off and would make me less inclined to like, share or retweet.

7.  Posting awful captions, spelling errors, bad grammar and non-relevant hashtags.

I was always told at school spellings and grammar are so important as it reflects on you.  Of course, you want whatever you post to look well, but to be on the safe side always draft your posts, double check what you are saying, check spellings and make sure your grammar is spot on. And don’t forget relevant hashtags which are related to your business or industry.  It will make all the difference before you publish!

6.  Using the wrong tone of voice.

Have a personality when it comes to posts is very important,  but coming across with the wrong tone of voice can be disastrous, such as being negative, gossipy, or sarcastic doesn’t go down well.  Really would you buy something from someone who is not very nice? As the saying goes “If you can’t be nice, then say nothing at all”. Remember it is media that is meant to be sociable.

5.  Posting anything political, religious or offensive.

This point “kind of” ties in with the No.6, yes tone of voice is very important, but it is really more important to avoid anything political, religious or offensive as your audience won’t thank you for it and it is a real turnoff.  Think of it this way, you are invited to a party hosted by a friend, and you get stuck with the most obnoxious person ever, who goes on and on about political, religious and talks offensively about other people. You can’t escape and wished you had never gone to the party in the first place.  You don’t want to offend the host and think I will be avoiding these parties in the future.

4.  Posting and handling comments.

Never ignore or delete comments. Always respond as quickly as possible. Your online reputation is very important and how you handle comments is so crucial. And this also ties in with point 6, “Tone of Voice”, how you sound online whether it is dealing with a good or a negative comment, you have to make the person feel you appreciate their point of view and that you are on their side. You can go the extra mile and show you take their comment seriously suggesting to the person you would like them to call you or discuss in a private message. That way you make the feel their point of view is very important to you and so they feel taken seriously. My mother always says “Treat people how you would like to be treated”.  And to be honest I hate when my mother is right, but she is on this one. Whether it is face to face or online, customer care is paramount and makes all the difference.

3.  Posting something without the person’s permission.

Who doesn’t like getting a great review for their service or like getting a fabulous testimonial for their work?  Then all excited you rush and post it on social media or on your website. Oops! Did you ask them if you could post it? The same goes for posting photos or videos of people and not asking. Always ask if it is ok first, out of courtesy.  Someone might not like their photo up, that review or the video which you thought was perfectly fine to post.   It’s very embarrassing in the end, to have to take it down after your audience has seen it.

2.  Posting something that the link goes nowhere or worse.

Have you ever clicked on an interesting post and the go to click on the link, only to find it either doesn’t go anywhere or takes you to something you were not expecting?  It looks unprofessional as it gives the impression you didn’t check the link was working or you are not being truthful to your audience by sending them to something that is not relevant. Personally, I dislike it when either of those link issues happens to me, as I feel disappointed, especially if it says an article I am eager to read or a video I would like to watch. You click the link and your trust in future posts with links go out the window.  Not good.

And so to Number 1:

1.  Mixing business with pleasure!

Like I mentioned earlier, well who really is interested in what you had for dinner?  To be honest, whatever you post is a reflection of you.  If your post business-related content and then personally related content, it can be very confusing, not relevant and off-putting to your audience.  Post only what is relevant to your business or industry. That way you look professional and your audience will trust you more!

Did this help?

So, to recap, think how do you want your business to be perceived? Watch what you share, who you mention, how it looks, what you say and how you say it. Keep an eye on comments and make sure you project a positive vibe. Always get permission to use images etc…. and keep things relevant when you post for business! If you need more advice, help or training with social media for business, you can get in touch with us “here“.