As a business owner, you likely have social media profiles across a number of different platforms. These are an extension of your business, and provide more ways for you to market yourself and reach out to customers. But, they can also become traps if you are not careful with the way that you use them. This is just one of those times to note the way that social media can either help or hurt your business. So, here are some of the things that you should never discuss on your business’s social media profiles.
- Never Get Political
Politics and political viewpoints are some of the biggest things that you need to avoid discussing anywhere on your business’s pages. Politics is a very sensitive subject, which tends to polarize people, especially when it concerns views on controversial topics. These types of posts can really make you drive customers away, especially when it goes against their own views.
- Any Questionable Humor
Mocking a group of people, or any other form of humor that can be seen as questionable is unacceptable to be posted on social media. These types of jokes are open for a number of different types of interpretations, which can actually end up hurting you rather than making people laugh. What you think is funny is not going to be funny to everyone. So, avoid humor unless you know what is considered humorous by everyone rather than a select few. A bad joke can do more than hurt your business on the customer front, it can get you banned from that social media website, depending on the severity of the backlash and joke.
- Do Not Make Counterattacks
Is someone attacking you or your business? While your first instinct may be to make a counterattack, but that is the last thing that you should do. By going after the person who attacked you will put you in a negative light, you will be pushing customers away. This is because they will react to your own anger by getting upset and feeling unsure if they want to support someone who lets their anger get the best of them. So, do not get angry; stay calm and collected, and address certain problems privately.
- Watch Your Hashtags
There is a difference when you capitalize the first letter in each word of hashtag and when you do not. So look at hashtags both ways carefully before you actually post them, and make sure when there is no capitalization they still say the same thing, rather than something appropriate. But, you also want to be tasteful with your hashtags. While it is important to have fun, make sure it is easy to know exactly what you mean with them.
These are only four of the countless things that you should avoid posting on business social media accounts. A single mistake can really set back your business on the road to success, so always be careful about everything you post and think twice before hitting submit. For more, and for help managing your accounts, consider hiring a PR firm, as they will be much more familiar with acceptable behavior and unacceptable behavior. One firm to considering is Emerging Media PR, for all your PR, marketing, and social needs.
