POSTING WITH A PURPOSE – 5 Stones Media

Social media websites are pretty powerful these days, wouldn’t you agree? In just 140 characters or less, you can generate sales, increase exposure and stay in the hearts and minds of your customers. You can also totally blow it. (Insert most recent celebrity Twitter / Facebook scandal here.)

So, to avoid becoming scandalous, here are 10 things to keep in mind when posting online:

1. Your posts are available for the world to see.
  Once you add something to the web-o-sphere, it’s out there. Even if you delete a post, it can be very hard to make it go away if anybody else re-posts it.
2. Make every post worthwhile.
  Business owners often get to Wednesday and think “OH no! I haven’t posted anything on <insert social media platform of choice here>” and they logon real quick and post without really thinking. This can backfire!
3. Have a plan, man.
  Plan ahead of time what you will post for the week so that you have an idea. Consider holidays, upcoming events, or industry hot-topics.
4. An idle thought posted can have wider repercussions than intended.
  Resist the temptation to post anything negative. Don’t vent frustrations. Don’t be petty. And, don’t just post whatever is on your mind. If you haven’t taken the time to consider the impact of your statement, DO NOT POST.
5. Flooding your followers with too many posts can turn them off.
  Don’t jeopardize the impact of your really important announcements by over-posting. Nobody likes spam. People often even “mute” or “turn off” friends who over post. So, considering you have a business and are obviously trying to generate sales via your posts, consider carefully how often you post. It’s a fine line between staying relevant and being a little too pushy. Don’t cross that line! Overtly selling simply doesn’t work well.
6. Treat status updates like a marketing campaign. Post with a purpose.
  Number 6 here basically sums up the caveats of the first five tips. Social media is a powerful tool, and if used properly, it can go a long way in boosting your brand. Share quotes, pictures or something funny that people will share, of course referencing it back to your website. Reckless posting can lead to adverse side effects!
7. Consider outsourcing your social media to online marketing experts.
  Want to truly make the most of your online social media presence? Consider hiring an experienced company — someone like 5 Stones Media — to handle all of the aspects of your social media on a professional level. We can build your brand with a coordinated campaign of well-planned announcements, high-impact statements and more.
8. Have goals!
  One major mistake of many businesses with social media is the lack of goals. Just like having goals for your business, each distinctive post should have a goal in mind. For instance, are you trying to increase page likes? Get post likes or shares? Just generate a buzz and get more comments? Is this a post for education or entertainment? Think about each post specifically and what the outcome should be to make it more effective.