Camille Brandon, MBA’14, a social media strategist at IBM, shares her favorite social media tips, including the Grandma Test. They all apply to individuals, small businesses and corporations.
- Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want your grandmother to see
Would you say that thing, show that photo or share that link with Grandma? And before you say that corporations don’t have grandmas, think about your stakeholders—they have grandmas and you wouldn’t want to offend them, either. - Be yourself
No need to pretend to be an expert on a certain subject—focus on your strengths. Make it your brand strengths if you’re developing an online corporate presence. Your genuine self will attract more followers and engagement than some fake self-persona that will eventually slip up. - Don’t buy your followers
Gaining your followers one by one will pay off in the long run. These are consumers who already like your brand/company/product. Don’t be false (see #2)—don’t buy robot followers to boost your numbers. - Don’t be a fly on the wall
There’s nothing worse than a Facebook page or Twitter feed that never changes. You’re never going to increase your audience or influence by sitting silently in a corner—or even worse, never checking what’s been posted to your account. Be responsive—create an interesting online presence. - Create your own content
Whether it’s through writing posts, blogging, using Instagram, Twitter, or anything else, creating your own content and communicating authentically will develop your online personality and presence.
For more from Camille Brandon, follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@Camille_Brandon), or connect with her on LinkedIn.
