There is so much information out there about what you should do on social media. Obviously this is all SUPER helpful, but by the same token, we need to make sure we're looking at what you should NOT do on social media to be successful.
Don't be a ghost As much as we at Gothic Disco love a ghost, you can't be one on social media to succeed. What does this mean? "Posting and Ghosting" has become a popular term for posting on your social media accounts and then closing the app. This phrase can also describe never interacting with anyone else in your social media community. Community is key for social media. If you're just posting but not interacting with others it can come off as disingenuous. It also just doesn't allow you to make real connections. By posting and ghosting, your followers will remain just that, followers, they will be less likely to convert to customers.
Don't ONLY post "trending" content Trends are awesome and there's a reason they're popular, they're trending! For most businesses however, ONLY posting trending content doesn't allow them to really showcase their products. There are overarching trends and then there are specialized trends. Each can present a great opportunity to get your content to a larger audience, but more times than not, being exposed to an audience because of a trend does not help those views convert to sales and are usually just vanity metrics. Note: Trending content is great for filler content or occasional fun posts, but it should not be the entirety of your social media strategy.
Don't only post content once This one sounds a little confusing, I know. Usually, only a small part of your audience will see each of your posts, so if you repurpose your content multiple times to make new posts, you're going to be able to reach a larger portion of your audience. DISCO TIP: Repurposing content can look like taking a static post and making it into a video, or taking a video and separating the content into multiple static posts. Along with only a small part of your audience seeing your content each time, it's important to understand that most consumers need to see content multiple times before they take any action, so repetition is important!
Don't ignore your comments and DM's First let's talk comments. Outside of those annoying "promote it on..." comments, your comments are an amazing way to interact with your audience. If someone takes the time to leave a comment on your post, you NEED to take the time to respond. Not only will this make instagram give your post a little boost and show it to more people, it will also raise your engagement. Responding to comments on your posts also allows you to build community with your followers. Now, let's talk DMs. Obviously if there's a call to action in your post that prompts people to DM you, you'll probably be pretty diligent when it comes to responding to your DMs, but if you have noticed that people DM you out of the blue, RESPOND! You will inevitably receive DMs that are other companies trying to sell you something, but if even one of those is from someone that you can either convert to a client, or just have as a networking option, it's worth responding.
Don't be afraid to follow people I know this advice is probably controversial, but don't be afraid to follow more people than follow you. Followers don't really matter as much as they used to. There used to be a rule that if you followed more people than follow you, then you weren't popular or successful on social media. This is no longer the case. Since follower count is viewed as a vanity metric and it's been proven that it doesn't necessarily convert to sales or views, it doesn't really matter. So follow away! BUT, don't follow just to try to get a follow back. Follow accounts in your community, accounts you genuinely enjoy, and businesses you are excited about.
Can you think of any other Social Media Don'ts?
Comments