When it comes to managing social media accounts for your business it is important to understand some general “rules” about what to post, when to post, and how much to post. Of course there is no handbook out there that will give you the perfect social media plan, but you can follow some of these “rules” that others have found successful.

This is where the “80/20 Rule” comes into play. The breakdown of this rule is simple: 80% of the content you post from your business should engage your audience, while the other 20% of your content is to promote your business.

But why only 20%?

This is because people do not want to have sales pitches or information about businesses constantly showing up on their social media feeds. If that were to happen, they would be turned off and simply unfollow those businesses. This is why the rule suggests only 20% as to give your followers a taste of what you have to offer every once in a while instead of all of the time. With that 20% you can post deals or discounts you might have going on; a call to action for your audience to learn more about your business, the services you provide and how you can help them, and anything to promote your business.

With that only being 20% of your content, the other 80% of your content should engage your audience. Engaging content can be an inspirational quote you like, blogs your business has written, articles you find interesting, a Q&A with your audience where you answer questions they send in, or even a picture of a puppy. The point is it should be interesting, shareable, and your audience should feel a connection to your company because of it. Being able to connect with your audience is extremely important, as it makes your audience feel that your business is genuine and reachable. It never hurts to share something that someone else posted or engage with influencers who might share your content. Liking, commenting, and retweeting are a great way to show support to other businesses and make your business known within your community. Interacting with others online and creating new connections will help your social media accounts stay consistent and engaged within the online community.

If all you are trying to do is sell your business through social media, people will quickly see through that and tune you out. This is why it is important to make sure your content is either engaging, inspiring, or educating your audience 80% of the time, while 20% of the time marketing your business.