The 5 dos and don'ts of social media

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As a dual business owner, I spend a lot of time on a multitude of social media platforms.

Over the years, I have learned from the best (and witnessed from some of the worst) about social media manners and how to use that to my advantage.

In a nutshell, there are a handful of things you should aim to avoid when using social media – either personally or as a brand.

In this post, I want to uncover these “bad manners” so you can level up your social media game, increase your followers, and generate more engagement and buss around your business.

These are the 5 do’s and don’t of social media.

Don’t spam your followers

Although you might not realize it, posting TOO much is actually a really big no-no for social media.

Instead of posting a lot of content in a short amount of time, DO post high-quality content that your fans will love.

Nothing drives me more batty than checking out my Instagram feed to find the first 10 photos are from the same account.

Instead, try to spreading out your posts throughout the day and not one right after the other – you will still get your work out there, but it won’t look spammy.

Your reach and engagement will go way up AND you won’t drive your following into unfollow you!

Don’t “dine n’ dash”

Obviously, don’t dine n’ dash in real life, but also don’t post and then disappear.

There’s nothing much worse than putting yourself or your work out there and simply walk away with no engagement or interaction.

When someone leaves you a comment, respond back.

When someone asks you a question, don’t ignore it.

So, instead of jumping ship after you post, stick around or check-in from time to time to keep an eye on your posts and respond to comments.

It’s called social media, so try to remember to be social and interact with your following – and when you do, you’ll create a tribe than will love seeing your posts!

Don’t ignore engagement

This goes right along with the dine n’ dash analogy – don’t ignore the engagement you’re getting.

I love it when I discover someone online that I can truly relate with. Their words speak right to my heart & I feel like I just met my new best friend.

Then I see that they NEVER interact with the comments on their photos AT ALL.

See ya new best friend, I want someone who will actually pay attention to me and hold a conversation – I’m not looking for a relationship that’s one-sided.

Maybe it’s just me, but this type of social media behavior seems phony and self-serving.

Instead of only showcasing your highlight reel and dashing, try to build real, honest relationships and conversations. You don’t have to be everyone’s BFF, but giving someone the time of day could make their day and win you over with just a few words.

Don’t just talk about yourself

While it’s true that others want to know more about you, especially is you’re brand or business, you need to also talk about them.

When you start conversations, don’t always start with “I” or “me”, but speak to your audience by acknowledging them for who they are.

Words of affirmation aren’t a part of the 5 love languages for any old reason, they are there because positive words and attention are essential to many people. Knowing that someone cares or writes you a genuine & positive reply could be the makings of a very great day for someone, so try not to ignore it!

So instead of only talking up yourself, talk up your followers too and you’ll surely make someone’s day light up.

Don’t follow for a follow

This should go without saying, but don’t follow someone just to get their attention and promptly unfollow when they follow you back.

As my favorite 90’s TV star would say, “How rude!”

Do I really have to explain this one? Really???

Instead of trying to grasp at straws and getting someone’s attention by following them, try following people you can actually resonate with. Because if they interest you, you’ll be able to have more meaningful conversations that will be more genuine.

And people pick up on that.

I know I can smell a phony from a million miles away, so just assume that everyone else on this planet can too.

You’ll score better followers if you keep it real and not make it a self-serving social charade.

Are you guilty of any of these social media no-nos?

It’s okay if you are – there’s always room for improvement in us all. It’s just important that we learn to grow from our mistakes and better ourselves (and our online selves) every chance that we can.