6 Essential Social Media Etiquette Rules for Brands

By thought-horizon | May 17, 2019

There is a way to behave (or not to behave) for almost everything. This does not just apply to your personal life, but also on social media: if you act poorly, show off your brand poorly, and perform poorly, you could end up bearing huge losses, especially when you are among many voices trying desperately to be heard.

No matter what your actual personality is like, we can surely help you manage your social presence with social media etiquette.

So, get  ready, set, behave!

1. Don’t Make It All About You

Take the element of ME out of your social channels. No matter how exceptional you are, or what great stuff you peddle, don’t engage in bragging. Instead, go behind the scenes and give a valuable share of space to your customers. Reach out and get them talking about their experience with your products. How have they have been using those products and services, and how easy/difficult was it for them to get onboarded in your processes? The opportunities are endless! Find out what works best for you, and get started with a “customer corner.”

2. Brand Yourself

Having a social presence is not just about having a top-notch calendar and pushing content. You need to have a personality that strikes a chord with the target audience. If you are writing social content on behalf of a company or a brand, make sure you keep finding the personality and voice. The easiest way is to write content that taps into your follower’s emotions, and use it to connect personally with the audience as a brand.

3. Engage With Others

How do you feel when prospects engage with your posts? Awesome, right?

Why not return the favor for your followers? Pay close attention to those loyal fans who share/like/comment on your brand’s content regularly. An occasional shoutout thanking them will not only brighten up their day, but will also demonstrate that you care.

But that’s not all; show promptness in replying to them. If a question is asked, jump on it and respond, even if it is a criticism. Take the conversation offline to sort it out.

These are simple things that get you exceptional results in terms of client satisfaction and customer engagement.

4. Let Your Customers Take the Wheel

Yes, you are arguably an expert. But expertise lies in understanding that it’s okay to take a back seat. Become a forum for discussion, and don’t comment anything that shatters your customers’ faith in you. Ask questions, but don’t answer. Let them converse, and be the discoverers. Reward those who interact by asking them more questions. Let them be the experts, and you consider yourself the platform where thought leadership happens.

5. Make It a No-Negative Zone

Competition is ubiquitous, and bantering with competing brands can be entertaining and valuable (at least, at times). The audience can definitely get a kick out of it noticing how you move and groove out of it.

But keep in mind that roasting a competitor can get ugly. You don’t want yourself to be remembered for negativity, do you? Patience is the key here. Stay poised and make sure you don’t go dark. This will win you more fans, more likes, and more revenue.

6. Relate, Don’t Sell

How did you feel when you followed someone for the right reason and BAM – you end up in their sales funnel.

Tricked? We feel for you.

Don’t make your buyers feel the same. Draft your content in a way that feels relatable to the audience. Don’t push the sales pitch. Go easy on your customers. If you deliver value, they’ll eventually find their space in your sales funnel.

Social media is a tricky thing in itself. By the time you know the etiquette, you have already done something that takes a toll on all your efforts. But as they say, better late than never. Keep these six tips in mind, and you’ll be all sorted.