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Saturday, April 16, 2011

Social Media Faux Pas- Social Media Marketing Do's and Don'ts: The Top 5 DON'TS of Social Media Marketing

Using Social Media is one of the best ways to promote your business (big or small!) but only IF used correctly!!


Believe it or not, SPAM is not the only Social Media Faux Pas that there is going on on the top social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. There are actually (at least) 5 other Major stumbling blocks when it comes to Social Media Marketing.


Here are the Top 5 Social Media Faux Pas-- The Don'ts of Social Media Marketing:


1- Ignoring Your Customers: Ignoring your customers is one of the absolute worst Social Media Faux Pas. Social Media Marketing is NOT all about YOU. It is all about them--the people you are connecting with; your fans and customers! When your customers or Facebook Fan Page fans/friends make a comment or post on your page or profile (even if it's a negative one), it is important that you respond in a professional and timely manner. When it comes to Social Media and Facebook Fan Page Strategy, every source of feedback gives you and your business an opportunity to respond and improve so that you can keep your fans happy and coming back for more!


2- Ignoring Your Competition: This is another BIG Social Media Faux Pas! Whether you are a part of the Real Estate Industry, Health and Wellness Industry, Virtual Assisting or Arts and Crafts, you can assume that you are NOT the only one! So it would be silly to just spend your time on Facebook and/or Twitter and not pay attention to your competitors as well. The great thing about Social Media is that it gives you a unique opportunity to stay in the loop with what is going on in your industry. You can use sites such as Google Alerts, Tweet-Beep or RSS Feeds to receive automatic alerts any time one of your competitors is mentioned online.


3- ARGUING!: This might be one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to Social Media Faux Pas! Please don't argue! It is so unprofessional! When it comes to Social Media and the do's and don'ts of effective Social Media Marketing, it is absolutely critical to remember that
your business and your brand will be judged based on how you react and respond to customer and fan comments. So arguing with a customer (especially on a public platform such as your Facebook Fan Page or on Twitter) will just be a losing battle for you and your business! Stay calm and stay professional no matter what is said to or about you and your business online.


4- Wasting Your Time: Another top Social Media Don't would be just wasting your time. Social Media can be a lot of fun and give you things to do to kill time when you're bored such as playing games and checking up on friends and family. But if you're not careful, a few hours can go by before you even know it! So by all means, check your social Media sites on a daily basis. Get back to comments, questions and private messages. Post important updates and keep your profiles and Facebook Fan Pages fresh and unique, but don't fall into the trap of needing to see everything that is happening or playing games that suck out precious time from your business day. Stay focused and on track!


5- Not Living Up to Your Promises: One of the last Social Media Faux Pas to be careful of is failing to live up to your commitments and promises. Remember, that Social Media is a public platform. So if you make a promise to deliver something and that promise is made as a public comment, post, tweet or status update then you must be doubly sure to deliver and stick to your word! Social Media can make the dynamics between business and customer more complex and involved in many ways, so you have to remember and be aware that everything you do and say reflects on your brand. But when you handle it it positively, it is well worth your time and effort!


Social Media is such a fun way to promote your business online. And if you avoid these Social Media Faux Pas and top Social Media Don'ts you'll be that much more effective in building a positive reputation for you and your business!


Next, see more on Social Media Faux Pas, Social Media Do's & Don'ts and Social Media Branding visit: http://www.Make1KaDay.com Fill in the form on the first page and then watch the videos on step #2 and 3 to learn more about how you can use Social Media and Online Marketing to Build an Effective Online Brand and Reputation for your Business and attract more qualified traffic to you and your websites!



Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/social-marketing-articles/social-media-faux-pas-social-media-marketing-dos-and-donts-the-top-5-donts-of-social-media-marketing-4076880.html#ixzz1JVHjy6Ym
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