After a recent trip to Walt Disney World with friends, my childhood love for princess dresses and romance came rushing back to me. Though many of these films are older than I am (I’m only 22!), the lessons we can learn from them are timeless.

As someone who leverages social media on behalf of my company and clients, I have been able to take a few lessons from Disney and apply them as best practices for a successful social presence and strategy.

1. Always be prompt. Social media posts should always be timely and relevant. If you are late posting important news, you will seem both disconnected and uninteresting to your audience.
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2. Have a voice and don’t be afraid to use it.Be sure to use a consistent voice and message in all postings. Multiple, fragmented social contributions may seem scattered, inconsistent and impersonal. On the other hand, when all messages are delivered using the same tone of voice, they will appear more thought out, familiar to the reader and relatable. You will build a rapport with your audience.
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3. Think before you speak.Social media is a great outlet to make a point at the click of a mouse, but as many have learned the hard way, once something is posted on the Internet, it’s there forever – even if the original post is deleted. For that reason, it’s imperative to think through potential consequences of anything you say on behalf of your company before you say it to avoid having to bite your (virtual) tongue.
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4. Work as a team.No social media professional is an expert in all subject matters. For that reason, working together with fellow colleagues to generate interesting, relevant content makes your company seem well educated and well versed in many different areas. Also, by posting about various topics, you will have a much broader audience.
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5. Be playful (sometimes).Although there is a time and a place for serious, business-minded posts, there must also be time for more playful messages. Social media should allow your company’s personality and culture a chance to breathe! When appropriate, post things that are less serious. It will make your company seem engaging, likeable and human.

Although social media is constantly changing and growing, we can always count on classic childhood films to teach us important lessons. At Domus, we take inspiration from our surroundings to keep our readers interested in what we have to say. What are your favorite social media tips and tricks?

Meghan Becker is an Assistant Account Manager at Domus, Inc., a marketing communications agency based in Philadelphia. For more information, visit http://www.domusinc.com. For new business inquiries, please contact CEO and founder of Domus, Inc. Betty Tuppeny at betty.tuppeny@domusinc.com or 215-772-2805.