Best Practices

Follow best practices.

Best practices make (practically) perfect.

The internet boasts an endless supply of social media tips, tricks, rules, and advice. We encourage you to dive in and learn everything you can, but if you’re struggling to recall and incorporate all the information you read, one simple guiding principle will help you stay on track: Communicate on social media as you would communicate in person.

Keep these best practices in mind when you’re using your DGSOM-branded account:

• Communicate on social media as you would communicate in person. Avoid posts that might seem out of place in a casual conversation. This includes posts that are wordy, pedantic, negative, complicated, etc. 
• Provide your followers with thoughtful and relevant content. Engage your followers with thoughtful and relevant content—just as you engage your friends with thoughtful and relevant conversation. 
• Respond to conversations and questions in real time. Slow replies could alienate followers. 
• Proofread; posts stay “published” online indefinitely. Confirm facts and figures, and have a teammate review your posts to check for typos and other errors. 
• Get permission before sharing others’ pictures or quotes. 
• Be social. Too much promotion of a cause or idea can alienate your audience. While businesses and organizations have infiltrated the social landscape, users still flock to channels for authentic interactions—not sales pitches. 
• Post often. You may believe that no one will care to read or engage with what you feel comfortable posting, but that is simply not true; the modern social media landscape promises a niche follower for nearly any topic and interest.
• Create a strategy. Carefully consider what you want to accomplish and how you might meet your goals. To get started, read more about setting social media goals. 

See Full Quick Start Infographic →

SETTING SOCIAL MEDIA GOALS