Social media has been around for quite a while now. It is, in essence, connectivity beyond borders. The widespread existence has created numerous offbeat career paths, but making a presence is quite a challenge. Putting yourself and your work requires a strong social media marketing strategy.

Depending on the social media services London adopted, there are certain things to keep in mind. The reason is that a lot happens on social media sites that is unfathomable and beyond an individual’s imagination and control.

Five things that are given a Thumbs Up on social media

– Putting your creative selves out there
Creativity, be it in the nature of a humorous attack, an intelligent and articulate opinion, a think piece, or an innovative ad campaign, are always given the go-ahead and receive a thumbs up from the social media community.

KFC, the fast-food brand, came up with the innovative ad campaign #KFCAdminisBored, a competition that probed followers to guess the Admin’s favourite music. Out-of-the-box and witty ad campaigns such as these appear at the forefront of social media for people.

– Responding to comments
According to an article by Thomas J Law, around 73% of consumers admit to having been influenced by their social media presence. These aspects represent the power of social media in 2021.
Being on a particular social media platform is an opportunity cost. There are endless alternatives that a said individual could have done, but instead, they have chosen to be on the platform and leave a comment. The least one can do, is respond. It is this back-and-forth of commenting and responding that will help build your followers and community.

– Being Consistent
Consistency here is applicable across the board. Be it your tone, approach, or upload timing. It can be spared when you are just starting out, but as and when you build a community of followers, being consistent will earn you brownie points through showers of likes and comments.

– Make sure to match your content with the platform
It is not uncommon to have a presence on several social media sites. Every social media platform has a unique characteristic, peculiarity, and purpose. Even the audience expectations and demographics differ. Therefore, one must be mindful of matching the content with the platform. Following is a breakdown of the most popular social media sites:

1. Twitter – It currently has a maximum character limit of 280 from the earlier 140 character limit. This peculiarity shows that Twitter is ideal for quick, short and to-the-point messages.
2. Facebook – It is an excellent place to share your opinions and feelings with your connections. There is room for emphasis, description, and lengthy content.
3. Instagram – It is predominantly an image and video-sharing platform. Anyone, including your brand, can be a photographer. It is apt for content that requires to be visually appealing and has in-built filters and photo edit options.
4. LinkedIn – The platform is focused on business-oriented networking and connections. The audience is professional, sophisticated and nuanced.
5. YouTube – A video-sharing platform, it is excellent for orators, streamers and hosts. It is ideal for sharing live footage of your personal or brand’s activities.

– Having Separate Business and Personal accounts
This separation is crucial in today’s day and age as it helps with image and brand-building. Especially for those juggling dual careers, say a full-time advertising professional and a freelance standup comedian, having separate business and personal accounts is paramount. The reason is that you are catering to different sets of audiences.
The professional account would be for business colleagues and brand followers. The audience would be more interested in your latest blog post about advertising trends than a video of your dog playing around in the backyard. Leave the latter for the personal account instead.

Five Things that are an absolute No-No on social media

– Anything in excess will put you in a mess
Morally, socially, personally, and in other aspects. Retweeting, liking, commenting, posting and sharing is great, but pestering and begging are not. Whatever you do on social media, make sure to do it in moderation. Do any of these activities excessively, and you will come out as a spammer. Hence, to not make it seem excessive, create a routine for your posts and make sure to stick to it. In simpler words, be consistent.

– Overreacting to criticism
It is not uncommon to receive flak or run into a heated argument comprising cuss words. Hiding or avoiding the situation is a bad idea. You could come out as being rude or disinterested. Retaliating with cuss words would do you even worse. If humour and wit are your best allies, this is a great place to use them.

However, it is crucial to note the difference between constructive feedback and an insult. It is imperative to be considerate and respectful towards other people.

– Making Personal Attacks
Every person has religious, political, and other affiliations. It is best to keep biases to oneself rather than put them out in the open. This is a common occurrence in today’s day and age, and hate comments, hate speeches, and a hive of abuses never goes well with anyone.

– Sharing content without adequate research
The constant connectivity and information flow are a conundrum. While sharing information and news is good, sharing fake information is bad and ugly. A lot of information today comes from shady and questionable sources and even bots. Hence, some due diligence is paramount.

– Uploading your posts or content pieces in ALL CAPS
Posting in ALL CAPS gives the impression that you are upset, angry or aggressive. More so, it is alarming for the viewers and followers. It is acceptable to use certain words in ALL CAPS when communicating something that commands HIGH value or implies URGENCY.

Ending Notes

Social media platforms are great for brand-building and networking. Every social media platform has its peculiarities, and one must match their content to the site. Moreover, there are general do’s and don’ts as well. To attain maximum engagement, one should be creative, responsive towards their audience, have a consistent routine, and have separate business and personal accounts.

However, you must refrain from seeming pushy and needy, making personal attacks, uploading in ALL CAPS, and sharing information without adequate research. Additionally, be considerate and be open to criticism that is constructive and honest.