Social media is without question, one of the most effective marketing channel a business owner can have

The medium is free but it is a great way to keep in contact with your most loyal customers and to find new ones. But just as there are traffic laws to keep us safe, there are social media marketing laws that will protect your business’s image from harm. Social media is a powerful tool but make a mistake with it and everyone sees it. When used improperly social media can ruin your company’s image.

Here are six social media marketing laws to keep in mind:

Give the people what they truly want

Just as with any other marketing channel, it’s important to know your target audience. The last thing people want is more clutter in their social media experience. If you want your customers to follow your company on social media then you need to give them what they want, not what you think they want. You can do a little investigative work to see what kind of online content your target audience likes. You can even come out and ask them for feedback using social media.

The law of patience

This is a law that could just as easily apply to any other marketing channel. Any new marketing strategy takes some time to get going. Set realistic expectations when it comes to social media marketing. Simply creating a Facebook page doesn’t mean you’ll have thousands of likes by the end of the week. Success will social media marketing can be immediate if you do it correctly but it may not happen as fast as you want it to.

The law of accessibility

It’s not enough to just occasionally post content. If you’re simply writing a post now and then and then disappearing, you aren’t making yourself accessible to your audience. It’s called social media for a reason. Your business needs to be social. Participate in the conversations happening on your page. Make sure you’re replying to customer feedback as soon as possible whether the feedback is good or bad (especially when it’s bad).

The law of compounding

The real power of social media is the snowball effect. You only have to get the ball rolling and the rest will take care of itself. As long as you’re posting quality content and maintaining a positive presence on social media your satisfied customers will start doing your advertising work for you by sharing your posts with their friends and by using the “check in” feature when they visit your business location.

The law of value

Consumers grow tired of constant, blatant advertising. Instead of using social media to push your product or service, use it as a way to post valuable content. The occasional advertisement is probably alright but be careful not to over do it.

Social media listening and monitoring

Finally, make sure that those who follow you on social media feel acknowledge.

No one likes to feel ignored. Make sure you regularly acknowledge your customers assuring they feel appreciated. You can do this by occasionally offering them special deals or by asking for their feedback or some type of direct engagement. No one likes a feed full of content that seems one-directional intended to sell.

There are ways to monitor your feed and identify what is being talked about to really create impactful social listening. The little things go a long way in showing that you care about your customers.

Source: Mobile Marketing Watch