8 Things Manufacturers Should NOT Do on Social Media

Social media may be unknown territory to those in the industrial space. Integrating social media into a marketing plan poses many unique challenges but also immense opportunities. Whether choosing to handle social media in-house or hiring an outside agency to take control, it is imperative to have a presence. If your experience in this area is limited and you decide to take this on internally, below are some tips about what not to do on your social media accounts.

1. Posting About Political Opinions and Statements

Keep personal opinions to yourself. Don’t alienate your followers by posting about political figures or topics. Feel free to share news about any legislation that may affect your industry, but refrain from posting about any polarizing topics.

2. Skipping Images or Text in Posts

Best practice is to include both content and imagery in your posts. Links should also be included when appropriate to provide your followers with more information. Images, without any context, can easily come up short. A short description can go a long way in a post’s success.

3. Forgetting Good Grammar

There is no excuse for consistent bad grammar. Have a coworker proof your posts before sharing them. One misspelled word or missed comma will not turn off most followers, but regular mistakes can influence your credibility. The main purpose of social media for manufacturing companies is to establish your company as an industry thought leader so post like one. 

4. Using Automated Tools for Posting

Scheduling and auto-posting tools may seem like a great idea. However, just because something is easy, doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. If you are not regularly logging into your accounts and responding to posts from your followers, there is very little reason to invest in social media. The whole point of all of this is to be involved and start important conversations. 

5. Thinking All Humor is Appropriate

Humor can be used to spread content. People relate to and enjoy good humor. However, tread carefully here. If there’s even a slight chance that someone may be offended, don’t post it on social media.

6. Doubting Your Followers’ Intelligence

Setting up automated, canned responses to common questions and complaints can leave your customers with a bad taste in their mouth and can cause other problems. These types of responses lack personal touch, which is the whole purpose of social media. Take the time to personalize your messages and responses.

7. Focusing on Your Company’s Products and Services

Don’t self promote on social media. You are on these channels to educate and engage your audience. People either ignore or become angry about self-promotion or blatant advertising. You may even lose followers!

8. Attacking Back when Someone Says Something Negative About Your Company

Your first reaction may be to respond with negativity if someone criticizes your business on social media.  This may be seen as vengeful and immature. You need to keep your emotions in check and remain calm. Respond quickly and try to resolve the issue. If you can’t do this, keep quiet and move on.

There are numerous opportunities for manufacturing companies that are willing to adopt social media. It may take some time to learn the ins and outs of a successful social media presence but with patience and the willingness to learn, social media can prove very valuable to manufacturers.

Are you a manufacturing company who has found success using social media? Tell us about it in the comments below.