5 Mistakes Companies Make When Using Social Media

Social media is a very powerful tool for companies to use, but only if it’s used correctly. Having a great social media presence can be a great advantage for companies not only with building brand equity but also with helping to boost sales. Here are 5 common mistakes that business make when using social media. If you avoid these mistakes then your company will be on its way to using social media to it’s full potential!

1.) Just using a platform because you think it’s the most popular or feel like you have to utilize it. Only create a social media profile on the platforms that are going to be the most useful for your business. Make sure the platforms are aligned with the marketing goals of the company and their initiatives and are going to reach the correct customer demographics and cater to their needs.

2) Forgetting to plan. Having a schedule and social media plan is critical to the success of your social media campaign. If you don’t plan ahead, you will feel overwhelmed when busy season comes and you’ll be scrambling to figure out what to post. Also trying to just “wing it” will not turn out well in the end. By developing a plan beforehand, it will make the campaign easier to manage as well as keeping consistent across platforms. Some helpful sites that can help you organize your social media plans are SproutSocial (https://sproutsocial.com/ ) and HootSuite. (https://hootsuite.com/ ).

3) Not catering the post to the platform. Social media sites are all used in different ways and they all have their own specific “language.” When you are posting on each of the platforms, make sure that the information you are writing in is in the specific language of that social media site. For example, you wouldn’t use Facebook and Instagram to necessarily convey the same message. All of the platforms have different features to them that can be used to reach different audiences.

4) Talking @ people instead of talking with them. The main reason social media is so great is because it’s interactive and you can really engage with your audience instead of just telling them information. By having conversations on social media, you are able to ask questions and are able to learn more about your demographics’ needs and wants. Asking questions on social media is a great way to generate conversation.

5) Forgetting to proofread. The worst mistake a company can do is to forget to proofread their posts and information that they put out there in the social media world. It looks unprofessional and puts a damper on the company’s reputation, which no one wants! Remember to have more than just one person proofread the post before it’s put on out there on your profiles.

Written by Kathleen Lawson of Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Tis the season: Use the holidays to give your social media presence a boost!

It's the most, wonderful time of the year! The holidays are coming up quickly, and these next few weeks are the perfect time to get that extra boost online presence for your business. Social media is an ever changing and constantly updating ways to interact with your customers and fans. Get into the holiday spirit by following these tips on how to use social  for the holiday season!

1. Show your holiday spirit!
This time of year is a great excuse to change up the look of your Facebook and Twitter pages! Update your cover photo to include a message of Seasons Greetings or Happy Holidays to remind your followers that you are in the holiday mood as much as they are! 

This cover photo is from the Sephora Facebook page. It is a clever way to promote the holiday season, without even using words! The caption on the photo is "This season, everything is a gift and everyone is gift-worthy. We invite you to get in the spirit." This can be done the same way on your Twitter page; post a cover photo and tweet it out to your followers.

2. Seasonal statuses and tweets keep the fun going!

Now that your page is decked out in your new holiday pictures, take the opportunity to create seasonal content! If you have a Fun Fact Friday, make your content relatable to your company and throw in some holiday knowledge along with it! This keeps your followers and fans learning about new things, while also giving it a fun holiday twist.  

Another way to get a conversation starting on social media is by using action words like "post, comment, like or tell us" in your Facebook statuses and tweets. These words have been proven to increase status engagement. Combine these words or phrases with relevant topics about the holidays create fun seasonal statuses! Look at this example on the DSW Facebook page; they combine the holiday shopping season with action words to create engagement with their fans.

3. Win those holiday gifts with Pinterest

Pinterest is a great social media tool, especially when you're promoting your own products! Having pinning contests amongst your followers for a special gift is a great way to get your company more coverage and promotions across the Pinterest website, as well as help your company gain new followers.

This is a current Pinterest giveaway contest being put on by the jewelry company Alex and Ani. This engages your followers and allows them to get wrapped up in the holiday spirit (and who doesn't like to win?). Contests like these can also be done on Facebook and Twitter pages. For example, "The 100th like on this photo wins free shipping!" or "If we reach 100 retweets, we will make all of our merchandise 20% for the rest of the weekend!" Especially around the holidays, everyone is looking for the best deal on their holiday shopping. If your business can incorporate this in with their social media presence, both the company and your customers win!

What kinds of ideas have you done in the past with your social media around the holidays?  Have any more tips and tricks? Let us know and post in the comments below! Happy holidays everyone!

Written by Lauren Cafarell from Rebecca Adele PR and Events.

The New Crisis Response Team

Social media saves lives.

Now there’s something you probably haven’t heard before. But, it’s true.

The faster emergency aid can be delivered during a disaster, the lower the death toll. Fortunately, speed is among social media’s best qualities. Victims can send a tweet and within seconds, the entire Twittersphere knows that that victim is caught under rubble on Main Street. 

Social media also raises money, reunites families, and helps to locate pets and items lost during natural disasters. After the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, residents created a Facebook page to find their lost documents and photos. Currently, over 12,000 people have joined. Photos like the one below litter the page, along with posts about volunteering and donation sites.

Many used social media to check on friends and family. Even more sent their condolences, like Oklahoma-raised celebrities Toby Keith, Reba McEntire, and Carrie Underwood.

Another example of social media in crisis situations is the Haiti Earthquake. Forty-eight hours after the Red Cross launched it’s $10 donation campaign, it had raised $32 million dollars. Most of this success was due to Twitter. The tweet announcing the initiative was retweeted 2.3 million times.

Despite the inevitable dark side of social media, the benefits are growing by the day. The face of crisis communication has been forever changed.  Natural disasters are devastating, but now, the whole world has become the response team. 

By: Maura Stewart from Rebecca Adele PR & Events