Social Media in office: Do's and Don'ts

Much has been said about social media in the recent times. Much has been discussed about its intrusion into people’s lives. Some have become addicts of social media in the name of networking. Addiction or participation, social media is invading an individual’s work hours to an alarming extent. This is why it is crucial to set limits for social media usage. Here are some social media do’s and don’ts in office.

Social Media Do’s

1. Set boundaries. Differentiate between official and personal networking. Social media is for sharing your thoughts/information. It is also a platform for  promotions. You can use it for both personal and official purposes. But there should be a demarcation between personal and official use. Personal sharing, chats etc. should not overlap with official networking as it can cause confusion and project you as very un-professional. The best way out is to separate personal and official accounts. You’ll never need to restrict personal sharing nor sacrifice on official purpose.

2. Limit your social media time. Automate updates. Set a time limit for using social media so that you can concentrate on other activities as well. Be it either for promotion or brand building, automation saves time and makes updations easier. First, get to know the social mediums you use. Gain complete knowledge regarding the pros and cons of automatic updates. Then, set up automatic updates.

3. Expand your network. Find your interest groups. Share ideas. Social media is all about connecting to people. Hunt for people who share your interests. Approach them with a message that appreciates their work and why you like them/want to be their friend. If you’re a member of a community, share your ideas for free. More people will notice you if they find you a source of innovative information. When you gain people’s trust, whatever you say or approve of, will  begin to carry worth among your audience.

4. Add value to your brand. Learn the art of subtle marketing. As a user of social media for official purposes, you need to add value to your organization’s brand or service. True marketing is actually no marketing. Instead of pushing hard, market subtly. Find your target group. Interact with them as a user. Share your ideas. Offer free advice. Build trust among potential customers gradually.

5. Become an expert. Project yourself as an expert. Make people seek you for your valuable advice. Become popular in your domain. Give your best to your audience. Build a lasting relationship with your customers and gain reputation for your company’s brand.

Social Media Don’ts

1. Don’t use social media during your productive hours. Don’t waste your precious work hours and idle away time in the social media. Stop sharing personal thoughts/general topics during office hours. Share only what is required for official purposes. Keep this as a strict rule and save your time for productive/creative work. If your job concerns only the social media, then use it only for the benefit of your client/company.

2. Don’t let out official/confidential information in public. You can tweet/chat/discuss regarding your business and the emerging trends in your industry, but never let out confidential/official matters in public. Participate in discussions, answer queries and engage in useful debates, but never reveal your business secrets. A competitor can smell your business tactics from your candid discussions and use them against you to win clients to his side. Be careful when you touch upon business strategy related issues.

3. Don’t self-promote. Don’t push hard. It may backfire or end in disaster. Build your brand without blowing your trumpet. Your company may be the greatest in your industry, but users don’t want that. They want to know only what you can do to them. Focus more what you can offer users. Never depreciate competitors. Find the good in them and talk about them. Your branding will happen automatically, without much effort.

4. Don’t mess up with every other social medium. Choose wisely. There are hundreds of social mediums on the Internet. Not everything can be of use to your service/brand. Instead of messing up with everything, choose based on relevancy and find out which media have the largest number of your target users. After finding your niche community, focus on networking. Never sway from one social medium to another.

5. Don’t get addicted to social networking. Be vary of your social media habit. Don’t go too far into the social media business as you can get addicted. Don’t do social networking full time. It is just part of your promotional activities. Don’t spend time just updating your group. Instead, engage in useful discussions that can generate leads to your business. Try to get maximum benefits out of minimum social media time.