Do's and Don't of Social Media

Kaitlyn, of the blog Translucent Brown, has some great social media tips for all bloggers (and non bloggers, too!) to keep in mind this year!  She shares five great tips for social media etiquette with us below.

 

1. Think about what you post and share.
You are what you tweet. You are what you post. Use some good common sense before you hit the post button. Think about if this is something you want representing you and your character. If its not something that you would say or show to your grandmother, than you most likely should not be posting it on social media networks.

2. Don't overshare!
No one needs to know that you and your boyfriend got into another fight. My point is that you shouldn't share everything! What is meant to be personal should stay personal.

3. Think before you tag.
No one likes the person who tags all their friends in that embarrassing drunk selfie. Before you post and tag a photo, think about what that photo represents and what that photo says. What would a potential employer or your Dad think if they saw that picture? Not good? .... Don't do it then.

4. Don't overload our newsfeed!
Ugh!! Have you ever gone on Instagram and there's that one person who posts 10 pictures back to back to back! PET PEEVE!! If you're looking to increase your following, posting all those pictures is not going to be a good look for you. Be more structured in your postings. The best time to post on any social media site (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest) is between the hours of 1PM and 4PM. Be wise people!!

5. Ignore!
I am a very opinionated person. And I have a lot to say. But not everyone feels the same way I do about certain situations. And with that.. comes the mean, dreaded comment. If someone isn't being so nice to you or says something that you just don't agree with, my best advice to you would be just to ignore it. I've learned from my mistakes! Don't add fuel to the fire. By ignoring it, you are defusing the situation.

Bottom line... is to just act right. Don't use your social media networks as a means of an outlet for the inappropriate. Keep it classy. You'll appreciate it later on down the line.
 
Be sure to check out this post and more great posts over at Kaitlyn's blog!

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How To Use Hashtags

how to use hashtags

One of the biggest social media mistakes a business or blogger could make is not utilizing the power of hashtags. Using hashtags gives you the power to grow your brand's social media organically. What is a Hashtag?

“...the pound sign (or hash) turns any word or group of words that directly follow it into a searchable link.” - Mashable.com

Hashtags instantly will link your social media post to a group of others with the same topic. As a small business owner, using appropriate hashtags can help drive your brand recognition and boost the reach of your advertising campaigns. How to use Hashtags

1. Use the #hashtag symbol (#) before a relevant keyword or phrase.
2. They can occur anywhere in the body of your text - beginning, middle or end.
3. They will not show up in searches if your accounts are private
4. Twitter recommends using only 1-3 hashtags per tweet. Whereas on Instagram, you can use up to 30 hashtags per photo.
5. Using too many hashtags devalues your brand, so do not use them spammingly. An example of a bad tweet would be: #DIY #ValentinesDay #Crafts you can #create at #home with your #kids #today. A better Tweet would be: 15 #DIY #ValentinesDay #Crafts to do at home today with your kids via @mommalewsblog.
6. Using the “@” Symbol will speak directly to an individual’s account, "tagging" them.

Create a hashtag to develop your brand! Although you might want to be creative and quirky, keep it simple and easy to remember.

1. Use no spaces between more than one word in a hashtag
2. It does not matter if your hashtag has a capital or lower-case letters, as your search result will yield the same results.
3. A popular marketing strategy is to use your brand's name as a hashtag ie: #NorthEastBloggers or #BloggersGetSocial. By doing so, you can see all of this person's work in one place.

 

You can currently use hashtags on:

• Twitter,
• Instagram,
• Facebook,
• Pinterest,
• Tumblr and
• Google Plus

Just because a hashtag is on social media, doesn’t mean that your brand’s hashtag cannot be seen outside of the internet.

• While your small business may have a small budget, you can advertise your hashtag on posters, stickers, sidewalk chalk outside of your storefront or any well trafficked public location.

Now that you know what a hashtag is or how to use them, how can you use hashtags to find new followers?

• Use relevant hashtags that are being used in your field.
• See what the trending hashtags are and use the hashtags that are relevant to your business.
• Search hashtags and follow those who are using similar hashtags. For example, locally I often search hashtags like #Princeton or #NJMom and follow accounts using these hashtags because they are targeting the audiences I would like to be following me.

 

Quick tip: Not sure what hashtag is being used for an event, campaign, etc? Search! For example, I recently had a client asking what the hashtag was for the Tribeca Film Festival. We searched Tribeca Film Festival in a Twitter search and quickly found out that it was #TFF14. Hashtags allow you to include yourself into conversations and network with potential new customers or business relationships! The best way to gain followers is to follow others! Engage with your new followers. Be social! You already have something in common!

What are popular hashtags you search or are common in your networks?

 

  Reesa Lewandowski writes at www.mommalew.com and www.njmom.com. You can find her at @mommalewsblog on all social media networks.

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