Consistency in Social Media Communication

January 24, 2012 Social Media by Jillian Young Share

When I look through business' social media pages -- on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, etc, I see a lot of inconsistencies. Although there are many businesses and organizations that get social media right, there are also many organizations that publish inconsistently on social media outlets. They post inconsistent messages and/or pieces of information not related to their business or industry.

What are some ways that as a business, social media can help reinforce your brand and communicate your message in a consistent way? Today, I am pleased to offer you a few tips about how to improve your social media messaging.

Ways to Communicate Consistently Across Multiple Social Media Outlets

Do not use the exact same message (or wording) for each outlet. Say the same things in different ways. The ways in which Facebook works are very different from the ways in which Twitter works. Don't copy and paste or automatically feed posts into these various sites. People are searching for different information in different ways. Vary your posts, and gear the message to the individual social media site.
Make sure you communicate only industry-related things on your social media pages. I've made this suggestion before, and I will continue to make it -- talking about your personal life or philosophies is not necessary. In fact, it sometimes turns people off. Rather, pose questions or make comments related to your industry or your particular organization.
Provide consistent posts, and seek feedback. Your posts show up on news feeds or main pages only if they receive feedback, particularly on Facebook. Facebook's algorithms tell the news feed on the home page what to show, and for how long. In order to show up on that news feed, seek out "likes" and comments. Make sure each one of your staff members likes all of your posts, and post things that begin discussion. Post pictures, and post links to articles.
Make sure that you respond to all comments -- in this way, you are truly social networking. If people re-tweet your posts or comment on your Facebook posts, make sure to comment back and thank them for their participation. This will create good will, certainly, but it gives you a powerful opportunity to engage with prospective connections.

Give us a call for more information about the ways in which we can help you navigate the social media milieu.