Post date: Nov 28, 2010 12:22:0 PM
You've probably heard by now that you need to use socialmedia as a channel for your professional brand marketing oryour company's brand marketing strategy (especially ifyou've been reading our blogs). Most people are eithertaking advantage of this channel, or they are overwhelmedby integrating social media into your marketing strategy orthey don't see the point of getting involved. For those ofyou who find social media to be seemingly pointless foryour professional brand or just plain annoying to dealwith, this blog post is for you. You can and should usesocial media as part of your marketing strategy. What youshould not do with social media is anything and everythingthat bothers you personally about social media. If you don't like it, chances are your business associates and clientsdon't either. So here are a few tips for you when youdecide to take the leap:Spell check! There is nothing quite as aggravating andconfusing to those in social media as serious grammatical
errors. Nobody is perfect but, unless you are 13 (and even
most 13 year-olds don't make this mistake), You should
always double check before you post even the most casual of
comments or updates.
Don't just talk; Listen! Nobody in the real world wants to
hear anyone else talk about nothing but themselves. So make
sure you don't make that mistake in social media. Talk about
other experts in a positive way; engage others in
conversation about their interests, concerns or problems and
whatever you do; don't use your Twitter or Facebook to post
nothing but links to your website or blogs!
Don't plagiarize; Give credit where credit is due. Whether
you are quoting someone in a tweet or referencing their
research in a blog post, let your readers, friends and
followers know who should get credit for this spark of
genius.
Stop Whining. This goes back to only talking about
yourself. But really; don't whine. Don't constantly
criticize others in your industry. And whatever you do;
refrain from posting slander about your boss or company
online. Remember, you attract more bees with honey than you
do with vinegar.Last, but not least, give it a little
personality.
Remember the previous rules and tone down your personality
if it is a little inappropriate for your audience. For the
most part you should be able to be yourself. Your clients,
followers and friends don't want to talk to a robot. They
want someone who relates to them in one way or another. As
the Genie from Aladdin once said, "Be Yourself!" Now you
know what not to do, start focusing on what you should do
next. Start a conversation with someone. Find some
interesting individuals to follow on Twitter. Give it a try
and keep on going.
About the Author:
For this and other articles by Brad Hess, please go to
http://www.mymark.com/articles . MyMark, LLC is a media rich
professional social networking website that gives you the
tools to use social media optimization to enhance your
search engine optimization and generate revenue. Visit
http://www.mymark.com/ today to set up your free account!