4 Tips to Build Online Reputation and Not Break Social Media Rules

Are social media compliance rules getting in the way of your building an online reputation? We all know how social media sites warn us about the posting of certain content that are controversial or sensitive. It’s all well and good, but what if you unknowingly go below the belt? Here are 4 tips to build your online reputation without breaking social media compliance rules.

Common Sense Rules

If you know right from wrong and are guided by common sense, then you would have little or no problem in making sure that your social media posts are not the kind that would bring trouble to your reputation. If you have an unpopular opinion about someone popular, it’s best to keep it to yourself or risk getting flak from those reacting online. Before you type a social media update about someone, think of how the comment will make you react. If your reaction isn’t good, then don’t make the post, because it’s also likely going to be the reaction of other people.

Read the Fine Print

Admit it, you have not really read all there is to read about the terms and privacy issues of social media sites like Facebook Google+ or Twitter. It’s a hassle, but you really need to read those things because you might do something wrong which is visible to everybody and which may reflect negatively on your reputation. There are sites, forums in particular, which prefer to keep promotions out of the conversation, for example, so if you post about your company’s new Mark 2 Iron Man suit replica, you will get into trouble for that one post.

Think about Your Audience

As marketers, we get too eager sometimes to get our message across and we tweet and post to our heart’s content about how great our company is etc. You might believe that there’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing, but the thinking is really self-oriented and too much of posts that promote your business or company may get you labelled as a spammer, especially if you post quite a number of times in one day. Spam posts are always unwelcome in social sites. In marketing, speak to your audience. Your messages must address their needs or expectations and should not seem methodical or forced on them.

Engage Communities

Outsourced marketing company Blue Tree Digital's clients, Loudoun Insurance Group (LIG) and Capital Fiduciary Advisors (CFA) have enjoyed success in building their reputation online without breaking social media compliance rules. One tip is to keep tweets and other information posted online focused on the community involvement of clients and not solely on content that you think will be consumed or followed by your audience to the advantage of the business. “Scheduling of tweets and Facebook updates doesn't really help as much in terms of building an audience. It definitely keeps content rolling, but it's not for growing an audience,” says Nicole Skuba of Blue Tree Digital Marketing. So don't just give content. Engage, as Captain Picard would say in Star Trek.

Real-Time Marketing for Business Growth: How to Use Social Media, Measure Marketing, and Create a Culture of Execution by Monique Reece