Social media is one of the most exciting business activities because any user is able to create new content. As a result, social media channels are lively and constantly changing. But it also means that you can’t control what will happen once you’ve posted your Tweet or your Facebook post. Consequently, even with the best intentions, a business could find itself struggling with social media difficulties.
There could be a variety of reasons why social media goes wrong. Businesses of all sizes can experience backlash and trolling online, which can dramatically affect the brand reputation. Not all social media losses are caused by a negative response. More often than not, businesses struggle to get noticed. When posts receive barely any engagement, the lack of response can be just as damaging as social media backlash.
You don’t have a social media policy
You would be surprised to know that most small businesses don’t have a social media policy. Your social media policy serves a clear purpose: it guarantees that every individual associated with the brand can make a positive impression online. The last thing you want is inconsistent and unreliable messaging. When multiple employees manage your brand social media platforms, it’s crucial to set the rules and guidelines for everyone. Your policy will prevent many problems caused by uncontrolled and unstrategic posts. Therefore, some of the points your social media policy needs to cover are the following:
- Who will be handling the social media accounts,
- What employees cannot post on their public-facing profiles when associated with the branded account,
- What you can’t publish with branded profiles,
- Which topics are off-limits,
- How to handle queries, complaints, and comments,
- What the social media strategy is and which KPI are relevant,
- Which tools are used to monitor social media activities?
You don’t control the platform
As mentioned, social media accounts are out of your control. Every minute, new content is created by users, which can interfere with your messaging and support to customers. Therefore, it can make sense to create a forum where customers can reach out to the community for in-depth support. Allowing customers to discuss their projects and find dedicated help without sharing confidential data with a broad audience can be a game-changer. A lot can go wrong when too much data is shared on Facebook or Twitter, as it is available and visible to anybody. On the other hand, a forum with sign-in options will protect data confidentiality and encourage long conversations without affecting social media flow.
You are not active enough
Without a social media manager in-house, it can be tricky to keep on top of your platforms. Unfortunately, customers are impatient on social media. Four in 10 customers expect a response without 60 minutes, and approximately 80% expect a brand to come back to them in 24 hours. What happens when you fall behind? Your customers get frustrated and lose confidence in the brand. You can’t afford to be slow on social media as it will cost you your customer base.
Keeping hold of your social media activities is a tough task without a social media manager. Indeed, relying on an already busy team means that mishaps are more likely to happen. A solid social media policy and a specialist platform can help control activities and engagement. You will need to make it second nature for your team to handle social media accounts throughout the day to avoid delays.
