Spam alert!

It is no longer enough to simply have a Facebook page for your business.  All forms of social media need to be approached as professionally and strategically as any other communication platform you use.

A recent study from the states reviewed over 2,600 Facebook company pages and found pages that posted once every other day had the highest number of likes, according to Anna Gervai, owner of Auckland-based design company, Orchid.

"Posting too often is basically spamming your fans," Gervai says.

"Just because they liked your page doesn't give you permission to inundate them with updates. There are always exceptions, like a page that shares breaking news, but for most organisations every other day is a good maximum.

Gervai says that while Twitter requires an increase in frequency to increase followers and engagement, feeding those tweets to a Facebook page brings you dangerously close to spam territory.

"Timing counts," Gervai says.

"Studies suggest tweeting during business hours on week days will improve your results; but for Facebook research points to early morning, early evening and weekends for improved results. "

It is important however to refer back to your planning – if done correctly it will give you better information about the timing and frequency of your social media activity than the latest research.

Don't fall into the trap of assuming one strategy works for every company or every platform, and if necessary engage a social media specialist so you use social media with the right strategy to match your audience and your goals.