You may be concerned with mitigating damage from your detractors, but don’t forget about the people who have a positive image of your brand. If fans are posting nice or complimentary comments on your page, then go ahead and thank them for their kind words. It may even be a good chance to plug another product of yours which you think might interest them.

A reply along the lines of “We’re happy to hear how much you love Product X! Don’t forget that Product Y is designed to work perfectly with it too!” shows that you’re paying attention to your fans, and also lets you promote an item that they may enjoy as much as the one they already use.

People love to talk about the hottest trends and happenings, but don’t think that just because your followers are interested in the latest news you have to give your two cents. The pizza chain Papa John’s recently suffered a self inflicted wound when it stirred up some controversy by blaming disappointing pizza sales on NFL player protests.

While the company is a large sponsor of NFL broadcasts, and player protests were a popular topic of discussion at the time, weighing in on that topic caused a negative reaction toward Papa John’s, for which the company had to issue an apology.

It’s one thing to make a topical comment, like wishing everyone a happy holiday, but giving an opinion on a controversial subject can do much more harm than good.

Let’s be honest, there are a lot of spelling errors and grammatical mistakes to be found across the web, and social media posts offer plenty of examples; however, your social media pages are a reflection of your brand. Mixing up “their” and “they’re” on your own personal page might not look so bad to your friends, but make a mistake like that on your company page and it’s sure to be spotted.

It may seem like just a small error, but you want your platforms to project a sense of professionalism and competency. Forgetting to proofread can make it look like you didn’t even care enough about what you posted to give it a second look, and could shake the confidence of anyone who’s a stickler for quality or proper grammar.

Social media isn’t just another way of promoting yourself or telling the world how great your company is; it’s a chance to have real interactions with the people who use or are interested in your products or services. If fans are trying to talk to you on social, then by all means you should be talking back.

Need help managing your social media campaign? Dotlogics can help you build a successful strategy and manage your pages.