Four Don'ts When Advertising on Social Media

With the increase in technology over the course of the last decade, the use of digital devices (i.e. smartphones, computers, etc.) has escalated dramatically. According to Jim Edwards from businessinsider.com, within the last three years, the average consumer’s use of media has shifted from watching television to using digital devices. With this shift comes the demand for advertising online. Companies are slowly transitioning their focus from circulating advertisements on television to posting them on social media. We have seen good and bad examples of advertising on social media. Here are four things not to do when you or your company post ads online.

1. Overload on Advertisements

Do not post more than two ads/statuses a day on social media. Followers will start to lose interest if their entire newsfeed is filled with advertisements. If it gets really extreme, they will un-follow the company all together. Keep it simple and post only a few times a day.

2. Post Text Only Updates

This is a huge no-no. If you post a long paragraph talking about your company’s latest achievement, maybe 10% of your viewers will read it. If viewers cannot wrap their head around the message you are trying to deliver in ten seconds, they will move on. Make advertisements that are eye-catching and/or humorous with visuals, videos, etc.

3. Publish Advertisements Without Proofreading

This one might seem like a no-brainer, but it is critical. Mistakes can be devastating to organizations and business professionals. Before posting, double-check what you have written, run it through spell check, make sure there are no grammatical errors, and then have one of your colleagues proofread it as well.

4. Leave Unhappy Customers Unhappy

Do not ignore your followers. Instead of deleting or ignoring feedback from unhappy customers, address and try to resolve their problems. This will help with customer retention. 

Utah Transit Authority (UTA) is a good example of this. On Twitter, UTA receives quite a bit of unpleasant feedback from their customers because of late trains, buses, etc. Utah Transit Authority answers every single one of these posts in a timely manner. UTA respond’s to their concerns and leaves the customer happier than before.

 In conclusion, there is no perfect way to advertise on social media. By advertising and posting a few times a day, making ads exciting, double-checking statuses before you post and resolving customers’ concerns, you and your organization will see more success while advertising online.