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<div class="post-2798 post type-post hentry category-facebook category-social-media category-twitter tag-business tag-facebook-2 tag-media tag-social tag-twitter" id="post-2798">
<h2>How NOT to Use Social Media As a Business</h2>
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<p>There are so many things that businesses can (and do) do wrong when it comes to using social media.</p>
<p>Perhaps the biggest offense and the most common one is to believe that your customers don’t realize what you’re doing when you promote a product or a service or a business affiliate on your company <a href="../blog/category/twitter">Twitter </a>account or Facebook page.</p>
<p>Believe me - it’s obvious. As a business, don’t get so involved in your own social media world that you forget that Twitter and Facebook have been around for a long time - heck, they made a movie about Facebook, and Zuckerburg was on the cover of Time Magazine. Don’t think people are stupid when it comes to understanding the ways in which businesses use social media. Especially if your target audience is in their twenties. Talk to them, and they could probably tell you better than you think what you can and should be doing with social media.</p>
<p>In fact, many of them could tell you what works - and the ins and outs and etiquette - of <a href="../blog/category/facebook">Facebook </a>and Twitter better than the “social media expert” that you’ve hired that tells you that you need more Facebook advertisements. It’s not a hard and fast number, but Facebook ads don’t usually result in more than a 1% return - it’s white noise and people ignore it.</p>
<p>The point of social media is not to push your new product to death - to be that obnoxious commercial you see on TV that you have to switch the channel for - social media is about, well, being…social. If that isn’t a concept you can understand, then maybe you should hold off on participating in Facebook and Twitter. It’s networking with customers, getting to know them, asking questions and engaging - seeing what their honest opinion is on your product or service or company and proactively doing something about it.</p>
<p>If you do decide to run promotions or sales or some sort of special on your Facebook or Twitter account, be transparent about it. As I’ve mentioned - you’ll offend and turn more customers away if you treat them like they can’t understand what you’re doing, like you assume that because you’re a business on Facebook you can utilize and understand the platform so much better than everyone else. Don’t alienate your own customers. That’s bad idea number one.</p>
<p>And if <em>all</em> you do is run promotions, people will start drifting away from your <a href="../blog/category/social-media">social media</a> presence - treating you like just another advertisement, and shoving you into a corner of your minds where they ignore you and your “message.” Your social media campaign just becomes white noise to a disheartened public.</p>
<p>To really work with social media in your company, you need to have a social media team - not just an intern that doesn’t really understand your company mission but is “good with Twitter.” You need people monitoring conversations, communicate with each other and you and make sure you have a strong, integrated front to present to the world. You need to get involved, get your hands dirty and not be afraid of losing face.</p>
<p>One of the most stunning examples of this is from Morton’s Steakhouse. A loyal customer (who also happened to be big CEO and have 10K or so followers on Twitter) tweeted from the airport that he wouldn’t have time to eat after he landed in his destination, and would Morton’s please get him a steak and drop it off at his arrival airport?</p>
<p>And you know what? They did. Even though the tweet was a joke, and not something the tweeter seriously considered would happen, it did. <em>This </em>is the kind of thing, as a business, you want to do with social media. Impress people. Go above and beyond, and do it consistently. Listen. Improve. Ask questions, and offer rewards.</p>
<p style="font-style: italic;">
<p><em>Jade Evans is a freelance writer who works with everyone from <a href="https://www.bsnb.com/">banks in clifton park ny</a> to Christmas wholesalers - her day is always interesting! </em></p>
<p>Tags: <a href="../blog/tag/business" rel="tag">business</a>, <a href="../blog/tag/facebook-2" rel="tag">facebook</a>, <a href="../blog/tag/media" rel="tag">media</a>, <a href="../blog/tag/social" rel="tag">social</a>, <a href="../blog/tag/twitter" rel="tag">Twitter</a></p>
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