We’ve been talking a lot about the benefits of using Facebook for your small business…. But today, we are going to talk about the pitfalls. Many of these may seem self-evident but I still find my clients occasionally fall into these traps, so it never hurts to repeat. Paraphrasing this article from Mashable.com,
* Don’t appear so evidently self-serving – Of course, it’s important to link your social media presence to your overall company objectives; however, one of the keys to social media success is being relevant not just to your own interests, but to those of your audience.
* Don’t be a yawn – Being boring or predictable on social networking sites won’t get you very far. Related to #1 above, it’s critical to create content that’s funny, compelling or useful so it has clear value to your audience.
* Take the time to do it right – According to many consultants, SMBs often “set and forget” with social media. But playing in the social media-sphere, you are making a commitment to post and check early and often. In fact, that’s the name of the game.
* Learn the tools and functionality – There’s a lot more than can be done with social media than just presenting ideas in a two-dimensional space. Both upfront and in the background, you should understand the best and most innovative ways to offer and analyze your content.
* Don’t violate the terms – Stating the obvious, there are “rules” for using social media appropriately. Just like in real life, you should treat your customers and visitors with respect and integrity. You are making a personal connection that hopefully will engender loyalty and repeat business.
Have you made any of these mistakes? Any lessons learned you’d like to share?
