In a field as new and dynamic as social media, experience is not only the best teacher — often, it's the only teacher. Deborah Sternberg, executive vice president of Always Care Benefits in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, shares a few of the lessons she's learned.
1. Stay away from the hard-sell social media post. Consider each post as if it were the first conversation with a potential client.
Recommended For You
2. Become active on multiple platforms. Know where your customers are and meet them there.
3. Share things about your agency or business so visitors can get to know you.
4. Ask questions.
5. Post weekly (or more often, if possible).
6. Respond to comments and questions quickly and engage prospects and clients where their interests lie.
7. Create interactive posts.
8. Vary your posts. Sharing a mix of text, photos, links and videos will keep your followers engaged.
9. Stay positive and respond in a timely manner.
10. Pass valuable information along, and share your own original content when possible.
11. Use praise in your posts. Complimenting a client, employee, or partner using a link or posting to them is often effective.
12. Stay professional. Remember that once it's online, it never truly goes away. If you wouldn't say it in a crowded room of strangers don't say it at all.
13. Remember relationships developed online don't have to stay there. Use social media to start a discussion that may end up offline.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Alan Goforth
Alan Goforth is a freelance writer in suburban Kansas City. In addition to freelancing for several publications, he has written a dozen books about sports and other topics.
