The 10 most important ‘don’t's you ought to consider before venturing into what for many businesses – and, if we are honest, digital agencies - is still uncharted territory.

1. DON’T s of SOCIALMEDIAMARKETING with

2. #1 DON’T start without objectives 1. Put pen to paper before the start of the initiative and substantiate a realistic yet achievable goal list.

3. #2 DON’T ignore the importance of training 2. It is imperative to conduct organization-wide training at the start of your Social Media Marketing (SMM) campaign.

4. #3 DON’T underestimate the time and effort involved 3. While most social media applications are free, they are time and labour-intensive and demanding. And time is money.

5. #4 DON’T press ahead until all your bases are covered 4. Make sure your online strategy and presence are firmly set in place before you promote your business in the social media.

6. #5 DON’T work without SEO support 5. SEO and SMM must work hand in hand to ensure that you make an impact in the search engines.

7. #6 DON’T delegate unless absolutely necessary 6. The wrong person can cause a lot of damage to an otherwise well-run campaign. Only delegate to well-trained individuals.

8. #7 DON’T engage the competition 7. Leave your competitors and concentrate on your assets. Going on the attack in the social media can quickly backfire.

9. #8 DON’T overburden your audience 8. A ‘hard-sell’ approach or information overload are big ‘no, no’s. Post at regular intervals without saturating your audiences.

10. #9 DON’T mistake flexibility for weakness 9. Stay flexible along the way. Be ready to change course where necessary and make sure your flexibility is not misunderstood.

11. #10 DON’T stop until you reach your goals 10. Persistence and steadfasteness pay. You often need to reach critical mass before your social media efforts pay off.

12. And if you needqualified help … OSCAR DEL SANTO www.oscardelsanto.COM