Communicate openly and honestly" – Social media tips from the pros

[sakibkhan29188]

I grew up with social media when it wasn't even relevant to marketing. I trained as a media designer and founded my agency, media:meets, with a friend in 2008. In 2010, we had our first major social media project. We quickly embraced all the different channels and progressed through trial and error. We grew with the projects. Back then, there were no influencers or experts for Facebook and the like. The networks themselves and the behavior of the people there were what made social media so important for marketing in the first place. So, I didn't approach it with the goal of becoming a social media expert—it developed naturally.

Motivation and enjoyment of work
What do you particularly enjoy about working with social media?

I absolutely love the fact that I see an immediate response to everything I do on chile phone number data social media . I like to compare it to the old days: Back then, a company would place an ad in a newspaper, and then the boss would sit there and wait for someone to respond to the ad and call. Today, you get immediate feedback on content; you know right away whether you've hit the mark or not. You get instant likes, massive reach—or a shitstorm. It's both a blessing and a curse, but I really like this prompt response.

Also read: These 7 social media tools save time and nerves.

Besides, social media is for people who enjoy working with people. Sure, there's a computer involved, but people respond to you and your work. Every day is different, you're always learning new things, and you have to stay on top of things.

Stay up-to-date
How do you keep up to date?

I have an urge to delve into topics I don't understand. I look at new platforms, test them out, and then I quickly figure out what they're about. And of course, I read blog posts along the way—it's always important to know where to get good information.

Being able to deal with criticism
How do you deal with criticism on social media?

You have to categorize criticism. On the one hand, there's legitimate criticism: My product or service isn't good or has demonstrably deteriorated. In that case, criticism is justified, and you have to accept it. In such cases, you should respond directly on social media and acknowledge the problem. Everyone makes mistakes – admitting them makes customers feel taken seriously. Plus, other followers notice and realize: "Hey, they're listening to us, they recognize their mistakes, and they want to improve." That definitely leaves a good impression!

Then there's the other kind of criticism, where someone gets personal or simply wants to vent their bad mood. Here, too, you should communicate openly and engage with the person, listen, but at some point, pull the ripcord and end the discussion. If you have a loyal community, it's quite possible that other followers will take your side and counter unjustified criticism. This, of course, requires good community management beforehand.

The important thing is simply to take legitimate criticism seriously, to question yourself, and, if necessary, to actually change things. If you choose social media, you must also choose to communicate openly and honestly. Unfortunately, this is something that most companies often lack.