How to avoid committing social media hara-kiri

Gargi Banerjee

Whether you're running radio taxis across cities or selling merchandise targeted at the youth, a social media presence is an absolute must nowadays to grab eyeballs. But just as social media platforms are burgeoning by the day, so are their users' obnoxious habits.

Falling prey to the unbridled freedom of expression these platforms offer can hurt your business more than you can imagine. The biggest mistake is falling into the 'promotional trap'. So, how can you leverage this wonderful opportunity to take your business forward? Here are some dos and don'ts every new entrepreneur should keep in mind to avoid committing a gigantic social media faux pas.
 
1. Chalk Out A Strategy

Social media platforms are free, but with that freedom comes responsibility. It is absolutely essential to identify your target audience and make use of each social media platform intelligently to reach out to your specific audience. Having a social media strategy is therefore key to every new business.

"Often, entrepreneurs do not have a strategy in place. Also, balancing personal vs professional content is very important," says Udayan Bose, Founder and CEO of NetElixir, a company that helps businesses make the most of search marketing.  Bose says the entrepreneur must understand the purpose of each social media platform and chalk out a strategy that will benefit your business.

2. Original Content

Every social media platform has its own unique identity and you should have a basic understanding of the characteristics of each platform before you start posting on them. The biggest mistake is to be repetitive, says Dan Adika, CEO of WalkMe, a website guidance tool that helps e-commerce ventures provide better user interface. "Too many tasks and too few people to do them is the most common challenge that start-ups face. This shortage of bandwidth leads many start-ups to attempt applying robotic and repetitive social media tactics," adds Adika.

Thus, using the same messages on every platform is a big mistake. For instance, a Facebook post cannot be the same as a tweet or a LinkedIn comment cannot be used as the title of a blog. Adika says every post on every platform should be unique.

3. Don't Blow Your Own Trumpet

Don't we all hate the guy at a social gathering who does nothing but talk about himself! Well, talking about how good your products or services are on social media platform is tantamount to that. The moment you sound narcissistic, you can be sure all the followers and 'likes' you had garnered will make a quick exit.

Bose of NetElixir points out that using social media effectively is all about exercising tremendous self-restraint. "Social media is not about chest-thumping or self-propaganda. It is alright to inform people, but it is definitely not OK to sell directly," Bose says.
 
So how exactly should you disseminate information?  Here's an example. If you are launching a new product, do not go about touting the launch. Instead, get an outside expert to review your product and post the link for your friends and followers to see. Bose warns strictly against the temptation of getting into 'sales mode' on such platforms.

4. Be Social, Not Mr Know-It-All

Every social media platform gives you ample opportunity to interact with friends and followers. Instead of posting promotional messages, be the guy who shares interesting information in relation to your brand. Take, for instance, Kaushik Chakravorty, Founder of Breaking Rules, a weekend photography workshop series in Mumbai. Chakravorty doesn't only post information on where and when he is conducting a workshop, but regularly posts on trends in photography around the world, shares and 'likes' social works of other famous photographers and offers information on his blogs on photography techniques.

He also interacts with his followers as often as he can and answers questions patiently. "It is very important to build the right social media image," Chakravorty points out. "One should not come across as a 'know-it-all', pompous guy and yet present himself as knowledgeable and likeable enough for his target audience to follow him of their own accord," he advises.

5. Engage, Don't Promote

Now this is tricky ground to tread and entirely subjective to your brand. Again, the thumb rule here is not to drone on and on about your products or services but to give socially relevant and interesting information that will keep your audience engaged and make them want to come back for more. "There is no formula for this," says Bose of NetElixir. "Some entrepreneurs post several times a day; some once a day; and others once a week. The key is to hold the interest of your followers," Bose says.
 
The idea behind the use of social media platforms for new businesses should be to subtly build brand consciousness. Strategies should be chalked out so that you engage your target audience and not promote your brand. As Bose of NetElixir puts it, "Social media use is all about un-marketing (for entrepreneurs). You never think 'ROI' in social media. You think 'engagement' of your audience on such platforms," he says.
 
At the end of the day, the use of social media is all about exercising restraint. Rather than getting into promotion mode, adopt a strategic approach and concentrate on creating a mind space for your brand in the virtual space.

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