The 10 Commandments of Social Media Management

In my role as Digital Account Manager at JeffreyM, I love talking all things digital and helping our team of consultants create beautiful hashtags together with our clients. In the recent years, Social Media Marketing has grown both in popularity and importance. According to the 2015 State of Social Marketing Report, social media is a growing focus for marketing organizations. Social media marketing will account for 22.5% of marketing budgets within the next five years and there are an estimated 76,000 social media marketing professionals in the workforce.

Whether you are managing social media for a brand or building your own personal following, these 10 Commandments of Social Media Management will keep you on the right track as you navigate through the digital world:

• Thou shalt remember your privacy isn’t secure.

In the digital space every tweet, post and like becomes public information. Even if you “tweet and delete” you should bank on someone capturing a screenshot that will come back to haunt you.

Rule of thumb: “If you don't want your employer, pastor or mother reading it, don’t post it.”

• Thou shalt not abandon your social media presence.

Your biggest fans thrive on interacting with your business in all its platforms. Keeping your social feeds active by posting engaging content and interacting with your audience consistently, will help you increase your social reach. Take full advantage of social media management tools that allow you to automate and share posts across multiple platforms.

• Thou shalt keep content relevant.

Bill Gates said it best almost 20 years ago, “Content is King.” Always share relevant content, articles and images. Monitor social conversations, stay on top of trending topics and adjust your social strategy as needed. Your social team should be able to deliver important material in real time, so that your business is always on the pulse of newsworthy developments and always available to snag an opportunity.

• Thou shalt be authentic.

Your online presence should be reflective of the same experience people will encounter with you offline. Share real, relevant and authentic content that is in alignment with what you or your brand represents. There are enough copycats online, set yourself apart by remaining true to who you are.

• Thou shalt MODERATE regularly

Being a great leader means being a great listener, so continual customer engagement is key. Large brands and businesses should look to invest in a team of community managers to facilitate in various interactions--whether comments, questions, concerns, or complaints--within your business’ digital realm. Be on the lookout for spam and obscenity connected to your social feed, and remember, the BLOCK button is your friend.

• Thou shalt be respectful

Whether you are interacting as the customer or representing your company, it is important to remain respectful in all your communications in the digital space. Negative comments aimed towards your detractors or competition have the potential to ruin the reputation of your brand. Tweet and post wisely!

• Thou shalt clean house

Spring cleaning your digital home should be a regular practice. Delete any old photos or posts that are no longer relevant to your brand identity. Identify and unfollow inactive users, block any spam accounts and make sure your contact information is current. Crowdfire is a great app if you're looking to do a quick clean sweep on Twitter and Instagram.

• Thou shalt keep a consistent online brand

When it comes to establishing or updating your social media presence, make sure your online branding is consistent. Are your Facebook, Instagram and Twitter usernames the same? They should be. Make it easy for people to find and connect with you on social media.

• Thou shalt know your numbers

Knowledge is power, so it’s important to use metrics and reporting tools to help you understand the impact of your digital presence. Utilize social media analytics to measure content reach, audience engagement and follower growth to assess return on investment.

• Thou shalt have fun

It’s social media so it’s okay to let your hair down and have a little fun! Snap, post and tweet away, just keep these commandments in mind.

Is your company ready to get social?

JeffreyM can provide your company with consultants who will help you develop your business’ presence in the realms of social media, customer service, and creative publishing. See how we can help you engage with customers in the digital space to create meaningful relationships. Let’s chat!