5 social media rules brand managers should break

In the realm of social media marketing, this is certainly true. As author and Digital Royalty Founder Amy Jo Martin famously says, when it comes to digital marketing, “renegades write the rules.”

Marketing professionals had the so-called rules drilled into their heads through academic or extracurricular study, while rogue marketers are sure to come across them in any social­-related Google search. But as the window for innovation opens, how can we continue to work within these confines of our profession?

You must learn the rules before you break them.

Mom didn’t let you eat ice cream for dinner with good reason; a nutritious meal benefitted your general well­being. However, remember that one time your team won little league and she let it slide? The memory and warm, fuzzy emotions were worthy trade­offs for the well-rounded meal you missed. This time, the benefits outweighed the risk.

Is your social team certain that the benefits of breaking these rules are outweighing the risks? By learning their true value, you can better evaluate your strategic choice to ditch the status quo.

Here are five social media rules taken back to their roots:

1. The 80/20 rule.