Running a business is tough; but running an online business, where emotions easily spillover, can be downright calamitous. Many businesses have been cancelled and hounded out of business simply for lacking a bit of social media etiquette.
But you don’t need to go down the same path. Below are some basic social media etiquette for your online business.
Don’t mix Personal with Business
The first thing you want to do when starting an online business is having a separate page for the business.
Don’t start a business, then keep it on the same page that you share your clubbing of beach photos or reels. Aside from making it seem unprofessional, it will also make it unlikely for you to learn if the people following you really like your product or simply like photos and videos of you.
So, open a separate social media account for your business and use all the professional tool features social media apps have to build your audience.
Avoid over-promotion
The other thing you want to do is avoid over-promotion. While it is important to always let the customer know of your products and where to buy them, make the page more engaging by also adding fun and relatable content. Make the promotions blend in effortlessly with other content that you make.
Don’t go back and forth with customers/trolls
Brand management means that you sometimes have to put your emotions on leash for the best of the business. If a customer comes to your business page comment section and expresses displeasure at your product, listen to them. Reply politely , or ask them to go to the DM. Do not get defensive when they critique your product.
On the extreme end, don’t trade blows with people who are out to troll you in the comment section. People who are not customers but simply want to get a rise out of you by making silly comments on your business posts are not worth your time. Ask them to unfollow and if they persist, make use of the block button.
Don’t overuse hashtags
Yes, Instagram allows you to use up to 30 hashtags per post, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Use recommended hashtag numbers by the company. Also, preferably use those related to your business or neutral ones like #viral or #explorepage.
Don’t jump on unrelated hashtags to promote your business. Not only will it attract trolls to your business page, it is also just tacky and unprofessional.
So there you have it. These and other social media etiquette will help you run your online store legitimately and attract genuine customers on your page.
