We’re now living in the era where Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are dominating. People choose to make every aspect of their lives readily available to the world by broadcasting pictures and personal details on social media. Being overly assessable and overexposed on social media can result in humiliation, wrecked relationships and even job loss. The stakes for playing in the social media game are high so is it worth it from a business perspective?
According to James Debono, co-founder of Big Thinking Online, a leading online marketing agency, “We need to embrace social media, the possibilities it brings, and the challenges it presents in order to remain profitable and, most importantly, relevant in an ever increasing social world.” Social networking for marketing yourself and/or your business has become a necessity. It gives professionals a financially inexpensive way to expose their brand to a larger audience, which increases their chances of attracting more customers and brand advocates.
However, too much of anything can become unhealthy, and the same is true for social media. Whether you have a tangible business or you’re promoting yourself as a brand, you need to be very strategic when it comes to how you present your brand to the world.
Research: Consult a social media specialist to assist in formulating an effective social media campaign.
Develop: Think before you tweet. Once you send it out its impossible to take it back.
Plan: Less is more, so focus on quality not quantity. People get very annoyed by constant self-promotion and are likely to unfollow, unlike, or unfriend you. Instead limit promotions to two times a day.
Observe: Be aware of how your employees and close peers are presenting themselves on social media. A brand is only as strong as the team behind it.
Separate: Separate your business page from your personal page. They cannot and should not be one in the same.
Remember that in the world of business, perception is everything, and you are what and how people perceive you to be. When it comes to perception, social media can be a blessing and a curse. So treat it as you would any other important aspect of your business and proceed with caution.
Yandy Smith (@YandySmith) is a music management powerhouse and co-founder/CEO of Everything Girls Love, a lifestyle, Web publishing and fashion brand. With valuable experience collaborating alongside entertainment heavyweight Mona Scott-Young at multimedia conglomerate Violator Management, and later, Monami Entertainment, she has worked with music industry greats including 50 Cent, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, and Jim Jones.