No, seriously … delete your account

One of the best parts of being a reporter is I am constantly learning. I learn new things every day about companies, industries and ideas, and with thousands of manufacturers in the state and region, there is no way I can know them all. So when a company makes news by announcing an expansion, relocation or innovative product, one of my first stops is often the company’s website and social media pages.

Many companies do a great job of connecting with their customers through sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

The problem comes when those accounts don’t receive the attention they require. Maybe an intern or someone on your staff set up accounts on every conceivable platform a few years ago, only to have the accounts languish when the novelty wore off and the daily pressures of work kicked in.

Whatever the case, I’ve come across plenty of companies with what are now essentially defunct social media pages. Twitter accounts that haven’t seen a new tweet since 2014, Facebook pages that feature a holiday cover photo from two years ago, or LinkedIn pages with outdated company details. What makes it worse is many company websites continue to link to these accounts.

There are probably worse things you could do to your brand. As a reporter, it’s easy enough for me to look beyond these accounts to find the information I’m looking for, and I’m sure your customers care more about the quality of your product or service than they do about when you last tweeted.

But leaving those accounts out there likely isn’t doing you any favors. Either take the time to continually manage your social media or do yourself a favor and delete your accounts.

-Arthur Thomas covers manufacturing and other industries at BizTimes Milwaukee.