PPB December 2018

FEATURE | Social Media Kyle A. Richardson is a writer and editor living in Philadelphia and the former editor-in-chief of Promo Marketing magazine. Reach himat www.karichardson.com. Don’t use social media if it isn’t for you. Finally, the hot take: social media isn’t for everyone. Despite the popular narrative, it is possible to be a success without social media. “I believe [social media] can be valuable, but I would not say it is important,” Denham says. “Many people do very well without social media while others succeed with it. Social media is a tool.” Like any tool, social media is only effective when someone knows how to use it. When handled poorly, your online posts can make your company look out of touch, out of business or just out of its mind. If Facebook isn’t working for you, it’s OK to walk away. If you do decide to stop your social media efforts, shut down your accounts. Leaving them active without new posts can create the impression that your company is outdated or closed. Plus, you don’t want your online legacy to be a Grumpy Cat meme. Do target your audience on their preferred platform. Today’s social media ecosphere includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Pinterest and Tumblr, with new platforms popping up all the time. “The reality is you have prospects and customers on all these platforms, and they’re trying to engage with all sorts of different partners,” Graham says. “If you aren’t there, you won’t be able to reach them.” It can be nearly impossible to maintain a presence everywhere. To make the most of your efforts, Hasseman recommends focusing on the platform that best represents your audience. “The best social media platform depends on the client base,” he says. “If you’re selling to Millennials it might be a different answer than if your clients are Baby Boomers. If you’re selling to women, it might be different than men.” It’s hard to go wrong with Facebook as your default medium. Mark Zuckerberg’s baby still has the largest piece of the pie, boasting more than 2.2 billion active users as of August 2018, according to content marketing analyst Dreamgrow. Twitter and Instagram are also easy and popular entry points with large user bases. If you’re still lost, play to your strengths. “If you’re a great writer, then you might be into blogging and putting it on Facebook or LinkedIn,” Hasseman says. “If you’re into taking pictures or video, then maybe Instagrammight be a better play.” Don’t talk about politics, religion or anything controversial. We live in a highly polarized era where a single comment can go viral in a way you didn’t intend. So, while it may be funny, posting that political meme does you no service and can backfire quickly. “It’s pretty bad to get into political issues when your social account represents your business,” says Dale Denham, MAS+, chief information officer for distributor Geiger in Lewiston, Maine. “It risks alienating customers who feel strongly.” To avoid a firestorm, keep personal opinions off your professional accounts. You may even want to avoid posting anything on private profiles, since they can be linked back to your company and cause serious damage to your reputation. Of course, the internet being what it is, sometimes controversy is unavoidable. When this happens, Kirby Hasseman, CEO of distributor Hasseman Marketing in Coshocton, Ohio, suggests keeping a level head and doing damage control. “There will always be people who don’t like you, but you don’t have to engage with them,” he says. “Getting into an argument or a mean-spirited conversation on Facebook is never going to be a blessing. If you need to have the discussion, take it offline.” 30 | DECEMBER 2018 |