We can probably all recall our first brush with social media. For me, it was Myspace (2003), which allowed you to customise your profile, send messages to friends, post updates and photos, and even upload music. But you may also remember platforms such as Friends Reunited (2000), Friendster (2002) and the ever-popular LinkedIn (2003). Going back even further, many consider the short-lived SixDegrees (1997) to be the first social media platform as we know it.
Named after the 'six degrees of separation' theory, it introduced the idea of online 'profiles' and friends lists, encouraging users to connect with friends and other like-minded people. This set the blueprint for Facebook, which arrived in 2004 and has dominated the social media world ever since.
In the craziness and hype that surrounded these early days of social media, there was, of course, nobody writing the rules, resulting in the kind of chaos that arguably makes social media so fun (think 'meme' culture). In fact, the very nature of the Internet in general made it a somewhat lawless entity, where people could do bad as much as good.
As journalist Jason Healey pointed out in a 2004 National Interest article: “the Internet is a lawless Wild West. Because the Internet was built on trust, not security.” In other words, when we’re online we’re trusted to act responsibly - and this of course extends to social media.
So who decides what is allowed and isn’t? How do you uphold freedom of speech by allowing users to post at will without also letting through hateful content? And how, as a business, do you ensure that you’re using social media correctly?
Over time, we’ve kind of written these rules ourselves; each platform has its own etiquette, its own particular style of content that works well, its own slang (‘regram’, ‘tweet’, ‘snap’, ‘insta-famous’), and its own big no-nos. We, the users, have actually defined what is and isn’t acceptable. And so when these rules are broken, we’re quick to point it out - especially if the rule breaker is a big corporation or a media figure who should know better.
Earlier this year, Danny Baker and his poor choice of words gave us a prime example of a media figure tweeting before they think and being punished for it. (The incident was also the inspiration for this article, at the suggestion of Pro Mobile reader and contributor Iain Baker - thanks Iain!) Whether you think the racism in his tweet was intended or unintended, there is no doubt it was a stupid, divisive post that needed mulling over prior to tapping that ‘Tweet’ button. (More on Danny Baker in a minute.)
Below I’ve rounded up 10 points to consider as part of your DJ business’s social media strategy. These include what to avoid doing, how to deal with fake news, and some helpful tips for improving the quality of your feeds. Follow the rules below, think before you post, and you should avoid making a monkey of yourself... AVOID OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE Try to avoid swearing, unless it’s done for particular comic effect and you think your audience would be OK with seeing bad language on their feed.
You should also watch out for unintended meaning. Danny Baker may not have intended to offend black people when he called the new royal arrival a “chimpanzee” , but he did nonetheless. As an experienced media figure, he should have had more sense. If he’d taken time to re-read before sending or ran the joke past a friend, Baker would have most likely realised that word-choice was a poor one considering the ethnic background of Megan Markle and her family.
This was a big mistake by an experienced media figure and one that could have been avoided by simply thinking before he posted. 1 BEWARE FAKE NEWS! No, I’m not talking about ‘fake news’ in the Donald Trump sense of the phrase (i.e. news is fake if it’s critical of you or your work) but in its real definition: propaganda comprised of intentional disinformation or hoaxes, often spread through social media. Usually fake news is created for political gain (more on posting about politics in a minute) but it could also relate to business and other topics, so do beware!
Not all news is real and you should always fact check (see FullFact.org) and avoid sharing posts that you think could be fake. At best, it’ll make you look like a lemon. At worst, you could be sharing the propaganda of hate groups and other nasties - which is why you should... CHECK YOUR SOURCES This ties in closely with 2. because often fake news will come from disreputable or controversial sources.
One thing I often see (particularly in older social media users) is people sharing a post that isn’t problematic in itself but has originated on the page of an extreme political party or a racist or homophobic organisation. An example of this is in the lead up to Remembrance Sunday, when people start sharing posts encouraging people to wear poppies. There’s nothing wrong with sharing a post about poppies, but double check where it’s coming from: British Legion?
No problem. National Front? Probably wise to think again. NEVER STEREOTYPE Comedians use stereotypes in clever ways, often turning them on their heads for comedic effect.
But even if you think you’re being ironic, stereotyping really has no place in business. One area that is particularly sensitive (but still crops up far too often) is gender stereotypes. In recent years, we’ve seen some big companies jump to rash conclusions about whole segments of their audience, resulting in a barrage of bad press for the brands in question. Take Miele, whose 2018 International Women’s Day post read “May all women always remember to embrace what makes them unique!” and used a shot of four women leaning on a Miele washer-dryer combo.
It’s not the 1950s anymore, so I find it hard to believe that the Miele marketing team thought this would wash (excuse the pun). Bad attempt at irony or genuine stereotyping? Either way, this post did not go down well. AVOID RELIGION, FORGET POLITICS No matter how strong your beliefs or how impassioned your political views, religion and politics alienate potential customers.
For instance, the popular pub chain Wetherspoons has come under fire by some for being too pushy with its stance on Brexit. But then again, for every punter who shuns the company will be another who agrees with it. (And then there’s me, who goes in solely for the cheap beer.) The point is that if Wetherspoons maintained an apolitical stance then it would arguably have a wider demographic of customer coming through its doors. If you want to take as many bookings for your mobile DJ business as possible then try to avoid posting political or religious content, especially on controversial or divisive issues.
REMAIN PROFESSIONAL AT ALL TIMES As somebody who has managed social media accounts for a few organisations, both in the private and public sectors, I know it can be hard to remain professional when dealing with an uncompromising and excruciatingly narrow-minded keyboard warrior. But you have to stay calm. As much as it pains you to do so, you should reply to even the most negative comments, thanking people for their feedback and addressing their issues in a professional manner.
If the conversation takes a turn for the worst and criticism descends into angry abuse, don’t rise to it. You can always take some time out and respond later. Any other potential customers who happen to read the comments will see that you remained professional, even in the face of abuse. My advice is to address negative comments promptly and, if required, ‘move’ the conversation into private messaging as swiftly as possible.
2 3 4 5 6 As a writer and proof-reader, I couldn’t let this one go unmentioned. Spelling mistakes happen (even under the eagle editorial eye of Eddie Short) but you should do your best to ensure they don’t.
I recently saw a story about the US Department of Education, whose tweet about academic W.E.B. Du Bois wrongly spelt his surname as ‘De Bois’ and was quickly jumped on by their followers. The DoE then issued a tweet apologising for the mistake, only to have made another glaring error. One spelling error is forgivable; two just makes you look silly - especially when you’re the government body for education.
The lesson? Double check your spelling and grammar before posting! And if you struggle with either, try drafting and spell-checking your posts in Microsoft Word or using an online/ plug-in tool like Grammarly. SEPARATE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL This one is not up for debate.
If you're still using your personal profile as your main business channel then you need to get with the programme and set up an official business page! Potential clients do not want to see Facebook updates from your latest holiday or Instagram snaps of your brunch, neither do they want to know who you're voting for in the next election or what your views on religion are (see 5.). All of the main social media platforms now offer business pages, providing you with a separate channel for posting about your business and offering valuable statistics and analytics.
Share what you want with your friends and family while remaining on-brand with your business. It's a win-win. DON’T JUST POST ABOUT YOU This is a tough one to get right, because when you're running a business it makes sense that you want to take every opportunity to push your services to potential clients. In my current job I really have to make a concerted effort to ensure we don't just talk about ourselves and one way I achieve this is by maintaining a social media calendar.
As well as helping you stay organised with your social output, it also makes it easy to stagger content so that you aren't always talking about yourself. People like variety, so mix things up. Try sharing some top tips for brides or perhaps a guide to choosing a good event photographer. Your followers will appreciate the useful content and come back for more; you then have their attention for when you plug your own services.
Sharing useful content is known as an effective way of building brand loyalty. AVOID POSTING TOO OFTEN This is a common mistake made by smaller businesses. Your post frequency should reflect the size of your online audience. So if you have, say, 1500 followers on Facebook, you only really want to be posting 1-2 times per day on that platform.
High engagement is the holy grail of social media stats and you can test out different post frequencies to find what gets the best engagement. Try posting once a day for a week and calculate the engagement percentage of each post by dividing the number of engagements (likes, comments, clicks, shares) by the total impressions the post has, multiplied by 100. Now try posting twice a day for a week and repeat the calculations. Note any differences in engagement and adjust your posting frequency accordingly.
If you start getting engagement rates of 1-3% that’s a good sign; 8-10% and you’re really bossing it! BONUS TIP: FOLLOW THE 5:3:2 RULE It’s not a suggested formation for your fantasy football squad, but a rule for social sharing. 5 posts of relevant content created by others (i.e. a blog about wedding venues). 3 posts of relevant content created by you (i.e. your advice on selecting a first-dance song).
2 posts of personable, fun content that helps people connect with your brand (i.e. a fun meme to brighten spirits on a Friday). As promotional posts would form part of the ‘3’ group, the 5:3:2 rule will help you avoid the perils of.
