The explosion of social media over the last decade has been nothing short of extraordinary. Of particular interest has been the effect it has had on businesses, due to the new paths of communication that have been opened with potential customers.

This has been a double edged sword of course, in that social media can kill your business just as easily as it can help it. Therefore understanding how to use the medium well is not just desirable in this day and age, it is downright essential.

So to help that understanding, take heed of these five laws of social media marketing for the modern business, so that you can get the most out of your marketing efforts, while avoiding all the dangers.

Listen More Than You Talk

Social media is a true step forward for business because the customer/business interaction is no longer a one way street. Now customers can interact with you in a real back and forth, allowing you to know exactly what they want and how well (or badly) you are delivering that to them. This can be hugely helpful with regards to new product offerings, or how you put forward discounts etc. It also builds great trust and loyalty with those who you interact with.

Deliver Quality

If your business social media accounts are purely sales focused content, then you will lose readership very quickly and that particular channel of communication (and marketing) will be lost to you. Spend time to find out which kinds of content your audience responds to, and put the effort in to deliver that quality content every time. The more often your audience interacts with your brand online, the more trust they build and the more likely they are to choose you when it comes time to purchase. An example of this is the Canvas Factory blog, where they put obvious effort into creating marketing matched content for their audience.

Accept Feedback Graciously

Understand that putting your business on social media will open you up to public criticism. How you handle this criticism is very important. Businesses have been ruined by responding negatively to feedback online, such as the example of Pigalle shows us. The restaurant received some negative feedback with regards to a pumpkin pie, and the chef publically insulted the customer. The backlash was huge, and the restaurant closed down shortly after.

When your business receives negative feedback online, it must be accepted graciously and with an intent to fix whatever issue the customer had. Though there will be a temptation to fight back, that temptation must be ignored as it can be very costly.

Be Accessible

Don’t publish your content and then disappear. You must remain available to your audience. A steady flow of content and interaction is a necessity for success with social media, as if you are silent for too long, your audience will simply forget about you.

Be Part of the Communication

You must keep the flow of communication going both ways. You wouldn’t ignore someone who reaches out to you in person so don’t ignore them online. Building relationships is one of the most important parts of social media marketing success, so always acknowledge every person who reaches out to you. Respond to people’s posts and messages on social media, as quickly and publicly as possible. Being seen as an interactive entity goes a long way toward building trust and humanising your business in the minds of consumers.