Facebook changes daily, and so do the rules you have to play by to win. Here are 8 quick ways to kill your business' social media efforts (and a couple may even help you get rid of a few personal Facebook friends too!).

1. Over-sharing: We know you want every last fan to see each post… but guess what? They're not going to. And while you're busy flooding peoples' news feeds with repeat content, your fans who have seen it over and over are hiding your content… or unliking your page. 

Similarly, if you share every update your page makes to your personal profile, your friends are going to get sick of your spamming, and think your page is annoying and that the product or service doesn't speak for itself.

2. Content Trumping: If you have awesome content that could potentially help grow your page, share it! FROM. YOUR. PAGE. Once the page shares it, feel free to share it to your personal profile (thereby directing traffic to the original source - the brand's page).   

3. Impersonal responses: Automated responses make me feel so special! Said no one ever. People are on social media because they want to feel special. Use their names and answer their questions as if the brand were actually managed by humans. Oh wait, it is. 

4. Delayed responses: Fans these days are expecting responses from brands' Facebook pages in hours (preferably less than one hour). If you can't keep up, hire help, or prepare to lose business.

5. Not responding at all: Imagine approaching a girl at a bar. You say hi and offer to buy her a drink and she just turns around and ignores you. You're left alone, looking dumb, thinking to yourself, "What a B*%$@". This is what it's like to fans when you don't listen to them. Social media is meant to be SOCIAL. Take part or people are going to stop talking to you, and soon enough, it won't matter how pretty you are... you'll be going to prom alone.

6. Not posting regularly: Social media strategies are built to be flexible because it's imperative to serve up relevant, timely content. However, dry spells can lead fans to believe you're shady and unreliable. Always have a strategy and content calendar in place just in case.

7. Don't share what you think is cool: Share what FANS will think is cool. If I shared what I thought was cool to every single page I manage, Catholic Churches, cowboy boot manufacturers, and retail stores would all be sharing the latest Justin Timberlake album and memes supporting the 2nd Amendment. Yeah...

8. Don't post just to promote: Make sure your posts are of value or your fans will leave you, simple as that. If you're sharing the page's posts to your personal page - what will excite your friends about it? Stop selling them, and start engaging with them.

Luckily, these 8 steps aren't punishable by death or we'd all be goner's. They are however punishable by unliking and de-friending, so I urge you to evaluate your social media efforts and see where you can tighten up a few screws. 

Have any other pet peeves or suggestions for social media managers? Comment below to share!

Keeping up with the changing dimensions for multiple social media channels can be tricky. We're here to help!

Twitter Profile Photo: 80x80 px
Twitter Header Photo: 520x260 px

Facebook Profiles Photo: 180x180 px
Facebook Timeline Photo: 851x315 px
Facebook Event Photo: 180x540px

Google+ Profile Photo: 250x250 px
Google+ Cover Banner: 2120 x 1192px  px

LinkedIn Profile Photo: 200x200 px
LinkedIn Page Profile Image: 300x60 px
LinkedIn Page Cover Photo: 646x220 px

At Balcom, we manage social media for several clients – three of us are dedicated to it full time. But how do we use social media on our own time? Twenty-one Bs answered our survey, and here are the results:

More than 95 percent of the Bs surveyed use Facebook, almost exclusively for keeping up with friends and family.

A few Bs do more:

• Lynne said: “I use it to source vendors (‘Hey FB friends: I need a makeup artist in San Antonio. Message me with info if you have a great person’)”
• Eric and Lauren T. both use it to share news, videos or articles.
• Ashley mentioned connections to brands as well as people.

About 90 percent of Bs use Twitter, but more for consuming and sharing content than for creating it. That content includes breaking news, articles from industry thought leaders, sports, fashion, trends and comedians.

• Audrey noted: “I have learned about several significant current events through Twitter, before the news broke on a local station. Twitter is a quick network to stay up-to-date but I must admit…sometimes I do post irrelevant updates such as pictures of clouds.”
• Jamie has only tweeted three times, but she’s addicted to following comedians:

Aside from that:

• Ali shares links to interesting or funny news she doesn’t have time to read, so she can find them later.
• Eric also shares a lot of his own amusing observations.
• Steve mentioned following and commenting on live events 

All the Bs have LinkedIn accounts, but only about a third mentioned using the network, chiefly for business connections and maintaining a professional image.

• Lynne uses it to research potential new employees.
• Chip tracks who looks at his profile: “usually a good sign that a client (or vendor) is interested.”
• Lauren T. and Eric share news and industry articles here, too.

More than a third of the Bs use Pinterest, for everything from recipes and how-tos, to style ideas, industry articles, infographics and more.

• Lauren T. also uses it for content research for clients
• Trey uses it for design inspiration

About a third of the Bs use Instagram, and aside from a general consensus that it’s great for editing photos (Ali uses it to “Make myself look less human and thereby...more attractive”), their feelings vary:

• Lynne deleted her account
• Audrey and Lauren M. love it, and Lauren M. says she’d use it more “if it didn’t feel so cliché”

Kim, Lauren T. and Stephanie use YouTube for research, how-to videos and fun.

Lauren T., Lesley and Lynne use Foursquare, but usually only for offers. Lesley also mentioned reading other visitors' tips and recommendations when she goes to new restaurants or museums.

Three Bs also listed seven other networks they frequent:

• Chip – “I check Reddit, HackerNews and Quora.”

• Lynne
  • Untappd:  “This is where I find out about cool new craft brews and what my 'beer' friends are drinking now.”
  • Yelp:  “Places to eat when I'm in an unfamiliar area. But usually go to my FB friends first.”

• Stephanie
  • WordPress – “Blogging (this includes writing, reading and community building).”
  • Google+  – “Mostly for Hangout, but it might become more relevant to my blogging with Authorship.”

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Which networks are you on? What do you use them for?

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Yesterday, Facebook released new terms of service for their recently-aquired social media darling, Instagram. A couple of weeks ago, Facebook changed their privacy policy. What do you really need to know?

It's always good to know what you are signing up for, but you also have to realize that, unless you are paying for a service, the company will try (and be forced) to monetize it. Period. End of story. Facebook will monetize the content you post, so will Instagram, so will Twitter, so will Socioogle (wait for it, it will be huge).

Facebook's terms of service state that content can be used on the site per your privacy settings. For example, if you like Coke, Facebook can charge Coke to show your friends that you like Coke (and they should, too).

Instagram's new terms of service are a little more wide reaching. They state that you grant Instagram a perpetual and transferable license of all the public photos you upload to Instagram. In other words, you allow Instagram to sell your photos (if Instagram wants to), to advertising agencies like the Balcom Agency. This is the cause of many red flags from users.

Do I think that Instagram will do that? No. In fact, I believe that Instagram will revise their terms of service after this public outcry. If they do not revise their terms, I don't believe Instagram will turn into an iStockPhoto where the photographers don't get paid, as some have said. More realistically, I believe that companies (think resorts, restaurants, theme parks, etc.) will be able to pay to use Instagram photos on their website or Instagram profile.

Personally, I'm OK with that. If I take a photo at Disneyland, I think it's fine that they use it on their website or Instagram photo. Here's the biggest privacy concern many (and I) have: What about photos taken of kids or family at Disneyland on Instagram?

Lawyers frequently put out overly-broad language to cover themselves for all of the future possibilities, to see what they can get away with (I'm sure there is a more legalese way to say that). I really think the terms will be revised with more clear plans on how Instagram will use the photos.

If you're concerned about this in the meantime, here is a really easy fix: make your account private. The transferable license only applies to PUBLIC photos.

I think it's important for user's to know the terms of service of their service, but so many websites turn to fear mongering as a first reaction. Could Instagram use the photos in "evil" ways? Of course, but, Instagram needs users to love the service to use it. If they try and push the use of their photos too far, people will abandon the service.

It's time for this internet reminder: anything you post online could become public, even if it's "private." Be careful, friends.

1. Never delete a negative fan comment

• Unless the user violated the “Rules of the Wall” (i.e., cussing, attacking another fan, spamming, trolling, etc.). Handle the situation like you would any customer service issue and if you’re comfortable at the end, ask the fan to remove their comment.

2. Always respond to negative AND positive feedback

• Some just require a “like” or retweet, but for more heartfelt comments or tweets, a personal message is best.

3. Respond to negative feedback publicly & ask to speak privately

• If you give an email address or phone number MAKE SURE someone will be there to handle the communication or the situation will worsen.

4. Know which 'voice' you are using on the page

• If you are an administrator of your page, you may be liking content from your personal account, but it may appear that you are liking/commenting as the page. Check your settings to see how your account posts to the page.

5. If you’re posting something with a link, make sure you remove it

• Post the link** you’d like to post in the status box with your caption (picture 1). You can delete the link once the article or video has populated (picture 2) and it will still appear when you post it (picture 3), but not with the cluttered link (picture 1).