Optimizing Social Media for Your Organization

Social media is a powerful business tool: 1.2 billion people* in the world use social media networks, and many use them every day. Through social media, you can build trust and communicate your brand and value to your customers.

While social media is a business must, it shouldn’t be taken lightly. To stay relevant, make sure you are following the proper steps for a successful and secure social media strategy. Here are considerations for successfully leveraging social media to boost your business.

Finding Your Best Platform

Each social media channel has different trends and information that are more successful than others—that’s why there are options! Before diving in, make sure you grasp the differences between each platform. Your business may choose to be on one, multiple or all platforms. Be sure to start with what you can handle, and then grow if you’re active. It’s wise to assess which platforms you’re on and which are working best for you. It’s better to have an active presence on a few platforms than to be on all of them but sitting idle.

Granting Access to Social Media

For account protection, have at least two administrators on your social media pages. This way, if something goes wrong or an individual is unavailable, another person can step in immediately. That said, you do not want everyone in your organization to have access to your accounts. Too many cooks in the kitchen can cause confusion and varied messaging across your platforms. When selecting individuals for access, make sure you choose people who are familiar with the platforms, are well-versed on your brand, have backgrounds in writing and/or marketing, and know how to follow a content calendar.

Defining the Roles

Social media is instant, meaning one mistake could impact your business. Create a policy for the writing and review process to ensure all social posts are on-brand and say exactly what you want. Additionally, make sure there are clear expectations for what your team members are supposed to do with your social media accounts.

When writing, have multiple sets of eyes review content before posting. Additionally, it may be wise to have only one person dedicated to responding to negative comments, as this can reduce the chance of miscommunication between your customers and your business.

Keeping Your Accounts Clean

Interacting with friends and followers on social media shows that you care about your customers. When interacting, like, share, click and comment with caution. All of your actions online are tracked and seen by everyone who follows your business. Only promote approved content that fits your company’s messaging. In general, avoid clicking on unfamiliar URLs, posts that ask for your personal or company information, and posts from people or businesses that you do not know. 

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*Based on a 2018 PEW research study.