Social Media: Do’s, Don’ts and What’s New

Written by JWC PR Assistant Amanda Rubalcava.

Becoming an active player in this ever-evolving social media game has become crucial for public relations agencies and their clients. Clients depend on their PR teams (or should!) to think on their feet and implement the best online strategies as social media trends evolve and technology develops. However, when more people than ever are logged on and ready to re-blog, re-tweet and re-post, what is shared online holds more weight than ever.

Here are some newer strategies to adopt and a few mistakes to avoid in order keep your social media accounts from falling behind, or worse, being unfollowed:

Do’s:

  1. Learn to Live-Stream: Social media techniques should be flexible and adapt to new technologies as they arise. For example, learning how to incorporate Facebook Live Video (we’re betting on Facebook domination) and Periscope into your social media strategies is a cheap and easy way to keep your followers engaged. These tools allow companies to connect with their followers by delivering real-time coverage of events. If a follower can’t attend an event or did not know it was occurring, live-streaming is a great way to help them feel like they are not missing out and entice them to come next time.                                                                                                                                                              Periscope
  2. Create with Canva: Graphics for social media are important to catch the eye of the viewer, so make yours stand out with free online resources such as Canva. Anyone can become a designer with this easy graphic design software, complete with predesigned templates ready to be customized! Best of all, there is now a Canva phone app that lets you design quality images straight from your smartphone.
    Canva
  3. Make Buying Easier: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest have “Buy” features that let users purchase products without ever leaving the app. If your business relies on commerce, make it easy to buy with one easy click!
    Buy Button
  4. Keep Up with Trends: Take advantage of the latest tools and apply them to your social media plans. Whether that means downloading that hot viral app or new Snapchat update, prove your brand is up-to-date with the hottest trends. For example, businesses everywhere are quickly taking advantage of the popular app Pokémon Go to lure in new customers. Not only does this bring new potential business, but it adds a fun element to the brand’s personality. Also, keep an eye out as Instagram unveils their newest feature, Instagram Stories. Uncannily similar to Snapchat’s story format, Instagram Stories will allow users to share moments of their day in a story slideshow that disappears after 24 hours.

 

The Dont’s:

  1. Forget to Fact Check: When sending a message to a wide audience, it is important to make sure that you have done your research. Distributing incorrect or distasteful information will harm your accountability and lose followers. For example, when the National Republican Senatorial Committee erroneously sent out an incorrect tweet this March, the Twittersphere was quick to point out its mistake. The problem here was that not only had Tammy Duckworth previously worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs, but she lost her legs serving in Vietnam. A quick fact-check or another set of eyes could have helped avoid this social media blunder.NRSC Tweet
  2. Talk Too Much: When it comes to text on Facebook and Instagram, less is more. Extremely lengthy captions are often scrolled passed and ignored. Make your posts concise and clear so that your followers get the message quickly. Even more effective, utilize a timely and appealing visual and catchphrase to market your message. When Beats by Dre partnered with Universal Pictures to promote the film Straight Outta Compton, their “Straight Outta” picture campaign garnered viral attention with two leading and memorable words.Straight Outta Campaign
  3. Forget to Test-Run: If you are testing out a new technology or app for the first time, make sure to practice before you go live. For example, having a late or shaky live-streaming might harm your social media presence if the audience grows impatient waiting.

4. Spam your Followers: Stay consistent with posting, but make sure to not overwhelm your audience. It’s about quality, not quantity.

Facebook Spam

 

Next time you log in, remember to keep these tips and tricks in mind to avoid a social media fiasco.