As the 2012 Presidential election has come to an end, I find myself intrigued by the extent of social media both candidates churned out during their presidential campaigns.  ABC News stated that the 2012 Election, as a whole, was one of the most shared and commented-on events in social media history.

Via Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms, both campaigns attempted to build personal relationships with voters to gain their support.  However, even a slight mistake on social media, and it might have not been easy for either candidate to make amends with their supporters.  Does that mean then that all businesses should stray away from social media due to the risks associated? NO! Social media is a great research tool and monitoring platform for businesses to utilize.

Whether you are just starting or already use social media these Do’s and Don’ts will help your business bypass common mistakes and effectively employ social media.

Do’s

1. Implement a plan before you start.
2. Build a strong network and engage regularly with your network.
3. Keep your messages relative to your business.
4. Employ social networks that are relevant to your public.
5. Respond to input quickly to show that their feedback is important.
6. Identify negative comments and respond in a professional manner.
7. Use hash-tags to focus your message to a certain target.
8. Include visual content.
9. Use monitoring tools to track your businesses’s buzz.

Don’ts

1. Overuse the same responses.
2. Bash competitors.
3. Share political opinions.
4. Use more than two hash-tags in a comment or tweet.
5. Engage in social media if the benefit isn’t worth the cost.
6. Rely on one application.
7. Continually sell your product or service.
8. Use generic marketing techniques.
9. Forget to thank people when they promote your business on social media.

Adapted from, “Social Media Etiquette: 15 do’s and don’ts” by socialmediatoday.