It’s official – you are on the social media bandwagon. Your company has a presence on the major platforms because you want to drive traffic to your website, engage customers and learn their insights, build brand loyalty, deliver better customer service and manage your reputation.

But just being on Facebook and Twitter won’t make those things happen. You have to work for it. Positioning your company as an information source can help you achieve those goals.

How do you make this happen? First, you have to know what not to do. It’s so easy to fall into the “me, me, me” trap, where every post is about your company.

Whether it’s touting your latest product or your latest award, no one likes to be around someone who only talks about themselves. This is a surefire way to get unfollowed or hidden from news feeds.

You may be wondering what else there is to post about besides your news. In a word, plenty.

Think of your industry. Then, think of ways to educate your public about your industry, without being self-serving. It should be information that will benefit your followers.

Let’s say you are in automotive repair. Just before the winter season arrives, post about winterizing your car. During the winter, post about safety measures for driving on snow and ice.

If you have an accounting firm, post about income tax season and how to prepare all year to make filing a breeze.

Dental business? Post about how your dental health affects your general health or how diabetes affects your oral health.

Link to articles that give useful information about your subject, complete with tips and do’s and don’ts. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel and write your own article. Search for articles written by other sources, and simply layer in your unique perspective.

Have a company blog? This is the time to link to your blog posts about the subject you are promoting.

Post an occasional industry quote. Amusing quotes are often shared or reposted.

Capitalize on holidays by searching for links between your industry and the holiday. Then, post something clever to give a boost to a holiday greeting.

Pay close attention to current events and post how they affect your industry.

When you balance this type of information between posts about your company – think of a four-to-one ratio in favor of non-promotional content – people appreciate and remember your company when they need the service in which you specialize.

You have served them as an information source by giving them great information they can use and share.

People call it social media versus promotional media for a reason. It’s about being social, listening to your community of followers, and giving more than you get which builds trust. Trust breeds sales and loyalty.

Lori Turner-Wilson, CEO and founder of RedRover Sales & Marketing Strategy, can be reached at redrovercompany.com.