Get Over Yourself | Social Media Tips and Resources

8 Ways to Trainwreck Your Business with Social Media
November 8, 2009, 11:45 AM by ROB
Posted in PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, SOCIAL MEDIA | 772 views

Choo choo! Choo choo! CRASH!

Face it. If you're not addressing how and why you plan to use social tools every time you sit down at the keyboard, chances are you're going to derail your efforts. Here are a few ways to ensure you screw up.

1) Promote, promote, promote.

Don't we all love the blatant promoters? You know who you are—you show up to a networking event with the only goal of passing out as many business cards as you can. I've literally had people throw cards at me. Don't be that guy. Start a conversation and build a relationship.

2) Put all of your eggs in one basket.

Sure. Social tools are great. You know what? They're not going to support your business alone. Your social media efforts need to be augmented by your traditional advertising. Plan for it in your strategy.

3) Sell a crappy product.

Have a crappy product? That's your problem. Do you want people to talk about your brand? If they do, do you really think they're going to say good things? Have a look at Walmart's Facebook Fan Page. It's turned into an employee complaint forum. That could be you if you've got a crappy product or service.

4) Outsource your accounts to your kid/neighbor/dog/whatever.

There are social media "pros" out there that will just manage your accounts for you. "Great!" you shout. "I don't have time for this $#!% anyway!" Wrong. You know your brand best. What happens when a crisis arises? What happens when a customer asks a question that your "expert" doesn't know the answer to? If you fall into this crowd, for Pete's sake, get in touch. We'll teach you how to use social media tools yourself on a schedule you can manage.

5) Automate it.

Go ahead. Go to Google. Find a tool that will automate your Twitter account. Send all of your tweets to Facebook. Let me know how that works out for you.

It's called "SOCIAL Media," not "Anti-Social Media." You need to be there to participate in the community. Please do so.

6) Use it as though you were talking to your buddies at the bar vs. talking to your customers.

If you're using social media for business, be professional... Comments like these have little place in a professional setting. Be advised, folks, that everyone can see your @replies. If you feel the need to use "colorful" nouns, take it to private messages.

7) Jump in with no plan.

Sometimes a road trip with no map or no place to go can be fun, but not when we're talking about a brand's reputation. Develop a strategy. Follow it. Don't just wander aimlessly around the social landscape.

8) Don't measure.

"Hey, we've got 1,034,285 followers!" Great, how is it affecting sales? "Umm... what?" Enough said. Establish a baseline, set goals, track your results.

There are dozens of ways to trainwreck your brand with social media. Anyone have a real-life example to share?

Need help? Get in touch—we'll take care of you.

Image credit: Corey King's blog

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