How NOT to run your social media

Warning: Raunchy and distasteful language is used during the course of this post. The content that follows is intended for mature adult viewing only.

This social media marketing and strategy post is really tailored to the small business owner, but baby bloggers also lend me your ear. You can easily avoid these social media killing activities and have your feed buzzing with real activity and interaction. Here are some things I have observed NOT to do over the years as a small business owner running your social media. Keep reading, because this could be your "A-ha" moment in waiting.

Do Not be a car salesman. Let's start with the almighty Facebook. I hate it and I do not describe myself as a Facebook expert in any way. I have, however, seen generally what does work and what does not. First, be genuine and caring. The car salesman technique does not work here. Screaming 20% off daily falls on deaf ears. If you post a flash sale occasionally, where you have an established audience and the sale is very specific, then that is fine and beneficial even. But everyday? Think about what you are really telling your audience? My brand is cheap and so is my product. Don't bother buying it. I am desperate for sales and no one else wants to buy my product. That's what a product that is "on sale" everyday looks like to your potential customers.

Do Not have a feed exclusively comprised of your content. It's like watching someone masturbate. Like, find yourself a room. Sharing is not just about you. No one business has enough sharable content all of the time. Keeping your customer engaged means occasionally sharing someone else's content. Their content should be pretty, eye-catching, and relate-able content to yours. That goes for most social media sites, especially Twitter. It takes time to compose your content and sometimes just having fresh content can be the most important thing for your feed. Also, sharing for others means they are more likely to share for you. That is helping you grow your audience. It is all about being social. Hence the term "social" media.

Do Not be a buzz kill. My biggest pet peeve as a blogger is when I compose a beautiful tweet complete with imagery and the business clicks the star. I have to be honest here, it can feel like a slap in the face. Are you kidding me?! RE-TWEET IT! Re-tweeting a well composed tweet that is speaking highly of your brand makes you look like a freaking rock star. It is exactly what YOU want....interaction! So interact and re-tweet it! It shows future and acquired customers why they should buy from you, because you are popular and others love your products and/or services.

Do Not forget the hashtags. Hashtags really do exist for a reason. Use them. Describe the #photo, get #creative, but always remember the people you want to #attract. The reason you use hashtags is so your people can find you. Putting no hashtags at the end of a Tweet or Instagram post is unacceptable. Why bother posting at all? Give yourself a fighting chance and use hashtags.

Do Not ignore bloggers. You don't want to work with bloggers? Fine, but we have genuine influence and some of us have a lot of it. Showing a smidgen of good will and respect with bloggers goes a long way. In fact, on Instagram some businesses create a viral feed by exclusively re-posting bloggers with their products. Why? Because those businesses are geniuses. It encourages the blogger to continue posting pictures with that said business and their products. It also encourages other bloggers to do the same. The business gets visibility and the blogger gets recognized. Are you starting to get it?

For goodness sake, Pixi Beauty with 20,000+ followers re-tweeted my tweet the other day! Do you know why? Because they are smart. They recognize that one tweet does not change the course of history, but it can secure a fan for life. Was that one tweet they gave me worth it? Absolutely! They have far more to gain from giving me a bit of their audience then trying to be stingy with it. We all work hard for our brand and audience. Bloggers want to help you. Let us and pay us. Moving on.

Do Not forget about cohesion. The biggest and hugest mistake I see small businesses making on social media is having a different handle for every social media site. Confusing much? Find ONE handle that works across the board. If you are confusing me, a social media expert, then you are damn well confusing your customer. Do you know what they are doing? Moving on. One picture, one handle, one brand. Cohesion.

I hope these social media no nos gave you some insight and will help you step-up your social media game. Have questions? I would be delighted to answer them. Please leave your questions in the comment section below. Social media is not something to be feared it is a fire that can set your business ablaze! Especially, in the tall dry grass.