Social Media Rules & Tools Make for Easy Housekeeping

Everyone needs a website and a social media presence. The secret, however, is to do it well with the least amount of management and time spent. With a little guidance and some suggested social media rules, you can get back to a job that you are passionate about.

 

When is the last time that you paid close attention to your social media efforts beyond occasional Facebook and Twitter posts? When was the last time you updated your website? The months pass, with daily postings of blogs, photos and videos, and we lose sight of some of the basic housekeeping that should be done to keep our social media pages and website fresh.

 

Social media and websites may be fun and easily accessible, but, like the job itself, to be successful takes work, time and money. Spring is the perfect time to drill down deep into your brand image and social media strategy, to cast off what’s not working and grow what is.

There are some general best practices that should be executed on an annual basis in regards to your web presence in addition to your basic weekly and monthly maintenance.

 

Look at all of your social media accounts, examine each one and ask yourself Do I need this account? Nothing comes across as more unprofessional than someone visiting your Twitter feed or Facebook page and seeing that the last time you posted anything was years ago. While it might not seem like it, a general lack of activity sends the message that your business isn’t important.

 

How relevant are the channels to your business? Not all social media platforms work for all businesses, so there is no need to maintain accounts that fail to bring in clients. Ask your clients to follow you on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest for special incentives and promotions. This way, you’ll be able to see just which social media platforms work best for your business. Google Analytics is also a great way to measure your social media impact.

 

Align your social media channels to your marketing goals and leverage the opportunity within each channel. For example, use Facebook advertising or push promotions through Twitter, the reach is worth more than the minimal investment.

 

Pick two or three social media platforms and commit to posting on them on a regular basis. Whether it is posting four times a day on Twitter, twice daily on Facebook or three times a week on Instagram—make it happen.

 

If you find that you do not have the time, it may be best to either hire someone, or look into free social media scheduling services such as HootSuite or Buffer. Ultimately, it is consistency that you are striving to achieve.

Change Your Passwords: Best practice is that you change your social media passwords on an annual basis. It protects your accounts from hackers. Also consider implementing a password management solution to store, distribute and manage your organization’s secrets. These systems allow you and your team to share passwords without making them visible.

 

Update Information: Visit your social media channels and make sure that all of your company information is correct. Your hours of operation, phone, email and social media links can easily become outdated. Be sure to update your company profiles with newer information.

 

Image Refresh: Change your company pictures and profile descriptions. Don’t let your image look dated and stale, keep things fresh and current with updated images. Change backgrounds and profile pictures as well as delete images from social media accounts that are old and no longer relevant.

 

Consistency: All of your social media channels should look and feel the same; your logos, colors and images should all be consistent with one another.

 

Administrative: Who has access to your accounts? Look at all the administrative access and permission to your accounts in order to best protect your business. Remove and edit as needed.

 

Your website, it isn’t just a website. Your website is a multifaceted asset of your company and should be treated as such. Re-evaluate your website regularly to be sure it is serving your business in the best way possible and that it matches your style and level of service.

 

Your website speaks volumes about your business. It either says, Hey, look, we take so much pride in our business that we have crafted this wonderful looking site for our customers! or it screams, I let my 11-year old nephew design my site—good luck finding anything!

Your website is an off-hours customer service center that provides answers to product-related questions 24 hours a day. It is also an extension of your marketing team and offers a convenient place to display your service advertisements, all with the luxury of not having to having anything printed.

 

Your website is also your public relations department and informs customers of upcoming events and new services. Ultimately, your website is what you make of it; it does what you want it to do.

 

A huge advantage to having a website is that we can integrate it with social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram—allowing us to reach out to our customers, clients, fans, friends and family in real time. They say the most valuable asset to a business is word-of-mouth, and when you have 3,000 fans sharing your information across the globe, what better advertisement can you have?

A quick internet search can provide you with turnkey programs, software and apps that may help you make your operations run smoothly without having to be a high-tech guru or programmer. There are a myriad of low-cost, low-maintenance products that take pressure off you.

Arguably, one of the best aspects that the internet and social media can offer business owners is that it has leveled the playing field when it comes to our competition. With a well-designed website, consistent messaging and following the proper social media rules and tools, you can stand out in your market as a thought leader and a preferred therapist.

 

However, maintaining your brand online is a continuous effort that requires time and energy. After following our tips, if you do not have time or ability to keep up your website and social media accounts, consider reaching out to a specialist who can help. It never hurts to collaborate with a professional. Your goal is to focus on what you do best—taking care of your clients.

Julie Pankey, JMPankey Partners, specializes in spa operations consulting, social media, websites, marketing and brand development. Julie is known as the 7-figure spa consultant and is the founder of spahive.com. She has contributed to the success of such companies as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Spa at Norwich Inn, Marriott, Cliff House Resort and Spa, Catania Hospitality, Pacifica Hotels, Fluhme Beauty, Christopher Drummond Beauty and OSEA Malibu.