Social Media: Sound like a human

Social media is a weird animal. And now that it's been so thoroughly appropriated by marketers and businesses galore, it's gotten even weirder.

The heart of social media, personal interaction, often gets buried or left in the dust in the rush to SELL SELL SELL and BE KNOWN.

Many times, clients don't understand social media, and really, neither do the agencies trying to help them. Facebook and Twitter end up sounding like tacky ad copy with snazzy puns and jazzy rhymes. All that's missing is the cheesy radio voice saying "CAAaaaall toDAY!"

Social media, whether it's a Facebook post, a Twitter tweet, or a Pinterest pin, is supposed to be casual, engaging, and personal. You're supposed to sound like a human. You're just another person, shouting out a tip or fun fact to other persons. The only difference is that you're the voice of a business, rather than an individual.

Instead of: "Come on down for the best auto repair here"
Post this: "Car trouble? Check out this article for tips on car maintenance to prevent big repair costs"

Instead of: "JOES PLUMBING BEST IN TOWN CALL US"
Post this: "Joe's Plumbing just won Best of Boston 2013 - 3rd year in a row! Thank you all!"

What does a bad post boil down to? What makes it "bad"?

• It's irrelevant to your customer
• It's all sales all the time
• It's begging for shares or retweets (make your post worth sharing and you don't have to ask!)
• It's not engaging or interactive

People like and share good info, interesting facts, and friendly advice. No one shares sales pitches, and no one wants to read a constant stream of business details. Be your customer's friend, sharing ideas and relevant articles, and they'll stick with you.

Be human. Have fun with it. Social media should be social activity!


Bonus: Spelling and grammar count. Yes, even on Twitter. There's no reason to get caught with tons of typos in the era of constant spell check!