%20copy.jpg)
We learn from a young age that breaking a rule is a bad thing. Some of us are natural rule breakers while others like to play by the rules. Social media and marketing in general come with a long list of do's and don't.
What if you just...broke some rules though? Well we are here to tell you that some rules are made to be broken and guess what, it feels good!
Rules you should break
Social media comes with so many should's and should not's. Shaking things up and throwing the rule book to one side can help you get the results you desire for your business. Now we are not suggesting anything outrageous, we are here to help you remain professional while getting the results you want. Are you ready rebel?
Rule: Don't keep an eye on the competition
Unless your business is truly 'one of a kind', the world of social media is littered with competition so it's hard to ignore them. Knowing the competition you are up against can prove to be a useful tool. It allows you to see what they are doing and what is working well for them. Remember that what works for their audience doesn't necessarily work for yours but it's a useful benchmark. It can also open your eyes to new potential target audiences and keep your business innovative. We don't recommend fixating on your competition but nothing is a better motivator then seeing what other's are doing and working to do it better.
Tip! Don't just keep an eye on your competition at the beginning of your business journey. Incorporate competitive analysis into your business plan and re-view/add to it regularly.
Rule: Keep captions short
According to Hubspot, the ideal caption length for a post is 138-150 characters.
Posts that have this ideal caption length receive on average 66% higher engagement.
While short and snappy captions can work for some posts, others may need more to allow you to get your point across so don't be shy, use that word count.
If you want to keep your audience engaged there are other ways of getting information out there. Why not try creating a carousel on Instagram or creating a blog over on your website just like this one! Doing this allows you to get your information out there and drive traffic to your other platforms.
Rule: Be everywhere on social media
One minute the hot app is Instagram then TikTok then back to Twitter. It can be hard to keep up and it can make you feel like you need to be everywhere.
News flash: you don't!
Different platforms provide different purposes and it depends where your audience are. There is no point wasting your time creating videos for TikTok if your community is mainly on Facebook discussing topics within the comment section and vis versa. Be on the platforms that work best for your audience. It's better to be successful on one platform than to be average on all of them.
Rule: A bigger audience is a better audience
Yes its true, we all love to see our following increase, it's a sign of popularity in a world of competition. However, this doesn't always equal success and profit. Which is what you are aiming for as a business.
Instead of chasing likes and followers focus on the people that matter, those that enjoy your content and engage with it. These people are more likely to share your content thus bringing in likeminded people.
Always push to create better content by maximising the features social media offers, engage with other users and businesses and always be consistent. It is better to have an organic audience that will help you in the long run than an audience that just swipe past you on their feed.
Rule: Don't get personal
When handled correctly, sharing the personal side of your business can be a good idea. By being personal we take our customers and clients behind the scenes. They might get to see what a day is like in your office, meet your team or even fall in love with your office dog.
Let your audience know that there are real people behind your business. Use social media the way it was intended to be used, not as a platform for just selling but as a way to personally connect with people in a different way.
Some rules are worth breaking
Businesses that are successful on social media don't always follow a defined set of rules. They effectively engage with their audience, provide excellent customer service and create interesting content that is relevant to their target audience.
If you can avoid getting bogged down with what you "should" be doing online, you may just find a way to surprise your audience and keep them coming back for more!
Searching for a solution so that you can stay consistent with your socials? Get in touch with us today.
