Social Media has been a key player in online marketing for a long time now, and for some it is the bread and butter of their advertising campaigns. With 3.17 billion Internet users (in a worldwide population of 7.3 billion as of 2015*) social media has integrated into society in almost unbelievable ways. However, this does not mean that using it for business is as easy as running your personal twitter account. It takes a lot of work, and some mistakes are all too common.

To get you started on the right path, here are our Top Do’s and Don’ts...

Do keep your pages updated daily. Google favours active pages over inactive ones and will place you higher in search results if you keep your accounts updated. An inactive and forgotten social media account is a digital faux-pas.

Don’t swamp your audience with content. Even your most loyal customers don’t want to hear from you 5 times a day! If you see your post numbers going up and your follower count going down, it’s time to change your tactic!

Do add the human element. It doesn’t have to be all business, and the way to build trust with your audience is to show that you’re real people. Happy birthday messages to colleagues, photos of in-office events/fundraising, celebrations of milestones and successes are all great for Social Media. Your Social Media presence is the voice of your company, so use it to say something about the great people you work with.

Don’t like your own posts. Please don’t!

Do set up your Facebook page properly. Use bespoke branded images for your cover and profile photos. If you don’t have these, then use high-quality photos relevant to your business. Also make sure the type of Facebook page you use is the right one. People will want to like the page Property Heaven Ltd, but no one is going to add the person Mr Property Heaven as a friend!

Don’t spread yourself thin across all platforms. Other businesses may be on Snapchat, but that doesn’t mean yours needs to be. Instagram may be right for you if you’re a Letting Agent with lots of eye-catching properties, or you want to show off the fantastic local area. If you’re an Interior Designer, Pinterest can be a great way to share your ideas and create mood boards to show where you get your inspiration. But if you’re a small local financial advice company you may not find the ROI you were hoping for on these highly visual platforms.

Do keep posts relevant to your business. You may have strong opinions on the results of this year’s X Factor, or you’ve seen an article about how flip-flops can kill you, but unless you’re Simon Cowell or in the beach footwear industry it’s best to save these for your personal profile. There’s so much great content out there for every business, find the pieces that fit yours the best!

Don’t post the same thing all day every day. Your audience needs variety. Estate Agents don’t have to stick to posting properties, you can post interior design tips, tidbits of local knowledge, fun facts about the history of the area, even run a competition or two.

Do think of Social Media as another tool in your Customer Service arsenal. Your audience are familiar with social platforms, and they’re more likely to contact you there than by email or phone. Use cool, helpful responses to negative reviews to show that you’re keen to fix things if they go wrong. Sometimes problems are unavoidable, and your customers want to know that you’ll be on hand to deal with them.

Don’t try to go viral. Unless you’re a massive international brand with a huge budget and a highly anticipated product, chances are you won’t be able to create a viral sensation. People share what they want to share, and most things go viral completely by accident. You can create a buzz with Social Media for sure, but focus on quality not quantity.

Angels Media are a Digital Marketing and Advertising Agency in Beckenham, London. Publishers of Estate Agent Today, Letting Agent today, creators of the ValPal lead generation tool, offering Social Media services for the UK property industry. www.angelsmedia.co.uk

* 96 Amazing Social Media Statistics and Facts for 2016, Brandwatch, https://www.brandwatch.com/2016/03/96-amazing-social-media-statistics-and-facts-for-2016/