Things to avoid on Social Media.

It may be very important to know the kind of things you should be doing on social media to give you the best returns on your effort, but knowing what not to do will also stand you in good stead as sometimes, social media can be very unforgiving.

Social media is very much a part of life for many of us and the way we use it is being adapted to how we currently live our own lives, it is being designed to fit in with our everyday agendas. What we must remember though that unlike us being down the local bar and gossip taking place that remains within the four walls,what happens on social media doesn’t stay on social media unlike in the popular city of Las Vegas. Thinking on the business side of things, the right message can travel far and wide and increase brand awareness, but so can the wrong message and with it can come not only negative comments and a drop in following, but it can devalue your brand and even land you in legal issues.

So, what type of things should we look to steer clear of when using social media to make sure that we stay on the positive and safe road of social media. * I would add, that there are those of us that are very clever and work on the basis of using negative PR to gain the necessary brand awareness, but for the rest of us:

  • Confrontational Topics. The usual suspects of religion, politics and football should be topics you may need to think through thoroughly before either starting or getting involved with on social media. Though each of the topics are freedom of speech, they usually can become heated and rarely conclude as people always have different opinions and like to express their thoughts. Nothing wrong with any of the topics above and with a thought through approach, you can make new connections and new friends, but be warned that even if you have the most sincere of opinions, it is still likely to offend someone, somewhere.
  • Copyright content. With more and more people using social media, the search for unique content increases as does the temptation to use content already out there done by someone else. Make sure that when you do use the likes of images, videos or blog content, that you have either permission from the original creator or that the content is listed as free to use (you can search Google for content that has given you permission to share and for commercial re-use).
  • Private conversations. Make sure that you keep personal and private conversations away from social media or at least, use direct messages instead. It may be obvious, but avoid firing people, stating people’s salaries or when they are on holiday, direct complaints or feedback to person and using bad or hard language. Remember, that what you place on social media not only can be seen by your followers, but has the potential to be seen by the followers of your followers, ie it can go viral.
  • Spamming. We should all know by now that spamming in any form is not a clever way of doing marketing and should be left to the SEO companies based in India. Though many of us reject spammers, lot’s still use social media in a similar way without realising they are doing so. Avoid direct messages which as merely urging people to click links or take up offers, do not simply post updates which as sales only and try not to tempt people in to clicking on a URL with a catchy update only to direct people to a sales orientated page. Think 80/20 rule when promoting your products and services, 20% is considered a recommended amount of your overall updates to be sales focused.

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Highest number of homes listed for sale for a decade and falling mortgage rates signal good news for first time buyers

40% of homes are now cheaper to buy than rent – up from 25% a year ago February on track to record the highest number of newly listed homes for sale in a decade as confidence returns to the housing market There are currently 6% more homes for sale than a year ago – this…
Read More
Breaking News

Property market momentum set to continue

The latest analysis from award-winning mortgage adviser, Alexander Hall, has revealed that mortgage market momentum has been building steadily over the last three years, with average monthly approvals for both house purchases and remortgaging increasing, and further growth forecast across the first half of the year. Alexander Hall analysed historic Bank of England data on…
Read More
Breaking News

Three major cities buck commuter belt trend

The latest research from Property DriveBuy has found that house price growth across Britain’s major cities continues to lag behind their surrounding commuter belts in most cases, although three major cities are now bucking this wider trend by delivering stronger and more consistent rates of growth, whilst London is the only city to see a…
Read More
Breaking News

One feature that can see homebuyers bag a bargain

The latest research from eXp UK reveals that low EPC-rated homes present a potential bargain for homebuyers, as house price savings of up to £54,000 far outweigh the cost of remediation. eXp UK has analysed average house price data for properties currently on the market in England with an EPC rating of E or worse*,…
Read More
Breaking News

Property expert reveals six easily avoidable house-buying errors

Viewing a potential new home is exciting, but many buyers and renters get caught up in the decor and the layout and ignore some potential red flags that may mean they’ll regret their choice a few months down the line. Property expert, Jamie Williams, from Pure Property Finance, discusses five things you need to consider,…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

Renovating Rental Properties: How to Reduce Costs, Attract the Best Tenants, and Increase Profits Without Unnecessary Investment

Renovation is where many landlords either make or lose their competitive advantage. Spend too little and the property sits empty or attracts unreliable tenants. Spend without strategy and you eat into years of projected profit on upgrades tenants never notice. The sweet spot lies in understanding what drives tenant decision-making and directing every pound toward…
Read More