Social Media for Business - A few tips and hints

I just thought I'd write a short blog on the subject of using social media for business. I am writing as the owner of a business that has grown our turnover by 120% in five years. Social media has played a significant role in raising brand awareness. We were ealry adopters of social media for business. We employ a specialist consultant on a retainer basis to advise us and manage our IT structure and social media strategy. It has certainly worked for us, in the real world, which means the bottom line of our accounts.

There are a few rules to bear in mind.

1. Trust is key
If you are trying to get people to spend hard cash with your business, the absolute first principle, in any business area is trust. If any aspect of your social media presence undermines a customers ability to trust you, then you are damaging your business. Don't make claims that you can't support. Don't fill people's timeline with irrelevant or spammy content.

2. Be sensible in your content
We are a Mill Hill based business in the music arena, so our content has three themes. The first is music related, especially when it features our customers. This showcases how we can help customers. The second is Mill Hill related content. This builds the message that we are part of the community and the third is useful info that may help customers, such as travel disruption tweets etc. All of these help us connect with customers and works towards building brand awareness and trust

3. What your audience is saying matters
You can tweet "we're brilliant" as much as you like and people will ignore it, unless you can show why. When your customers say you are brilliant, then that is when people take note. Some people are tempted to set up spoof accounts to praise themselves. If you get caught out, this will be very counter productive. Let your work earn you the plaudits.

4. If people criticise you, learn don't argue
If you are an individual, then arguing is fine. If you are a business and you get a negative comment, take it on board and learn. If someone slags off your business, work out why and fix the problem. If it is purely malicious, simply apologise and ask them how the problem can be fixed. You will then look like the good guys, even if you are seething.

5. Use real pictures
It is tempting to use Gifs to sell your products and company. You might think a GIF is hilarious but if you are the 17th person to post it on a timeline, you just look like anyone else in the sea of bland tripe that is social media. At least your own contact is unique.

What are your top tips, if you run a successful business?