6.4 Using Social Media at Work

Review sites, blogs, tweets, and online community forums are some of the continually developing means of social media being harnessed by businesses and industry to reach customers and other stakeholders. People’s comfort in the online environment forces businesses to market and interact there or risk a massive loss in sales and interest. Though most users learn how to use social media as an extension or facilitator of their social lives, using the same platforms for professional reasons requires some change in behaviour.

First, recognize that every modern business or organization should have a social media presence on the sites they expect their customer base to frequent, especially popular sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Messaging here must be consistent across the platforms when alerting the customer base of important information such as special events, deals, and other news.

5 Tips for Using Social Media at Work

1. Know your audience. Make sure to understand who is your primary audience and whom you are engaging with on social media platforms.
2. Identify your style. Across the platforms use language, style, and tone that is similar and recognizable to your audience. This includes visuals and images.
3. Double-check before posting. You are responsible for the information you are posting. Always, check for errors and message clarity.
4. Figure out your objective. Always identify the goal of your post. You can ask yourself “what am I trying to accomplish with this post?”.
5. Unplug yourself once in a while. Do you feel constantly connected? Do you feel lost or “out of it” if you don’t have your cell phone and cannot connect to people, even for fifteen minutes? Scheduling your check-in times can be healthy and beneficial. Social media posts do not require your constant involvement but strategically planning your time and efforts.

Next, follow expert advice on how to properly take advantage of social media in detail to promote your operation and reach people. Large companies will dedicate personnel to running their social media presence, but small businesses can do much of it themselves if they follow some decent online advice such as the following pages:

• The Do’s and Don’ts of How to Use Facebook for Business [Infographic]
• The Ultimate Guide to Twitter for Small Business in 2017
• How to Use Instagram for Business: A Complete Guide for Marketers

Know also that social media is a constantly evolving environment. Stay on trend by continually searching out and implementing the latest advice similar to the above. Always consider completing a content analysis, a research technique that involves analyzing the content of various forms of media. Through content analysis, researchers hope to understand both the people who created the content and the people who consumed it. A typical content analysis project does not require elaborate experiments. Instead, it simply requires access to the appropriate media to analyze, making this type of research an easier and inexpensive alternative to other forms of research involving complex surveys or human subjects.

Finally, always consider how the sites you access and what you post represent you and your employer, even if you think others don’t know where you work or who you are. Internet service providers (ISPs) are required by law to archive information concerning the use and traffic of information that can become available under subpoena. Any move you make leaves digital footprints, so you will have to answer for any misstep that brings shame upon you or your company.