As social media marketers, we may sometimes feel like the world is giving us a flawed platform. No matter the situation, we stick to our lessons and keep moving forward. We have to, or next thing you know we will be left behind missing out on all of the traffic and leads that could have been ours if only we stuck with what works.
Social media is a tricky place. It can make you feel like the most popular kid in school at times, and on other days it can make you want to crawl into a hole and disappear. But even though social media is known to be an echo chamber, there are specific tools that help you measure your impact and understand what’s working versus what isn’t.
HERE ARE SOCIAL MEDIA MISTAKES BUSINESSES MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM :
NOT HAVING A STRATEGY
Like anything else in marketing, if you don’t have a strategy with your social media marketing efforts, they will not be effective. Decide which networks you will use and focus on those. Also, decide who your target audience is and what type of content they will respond to best. Then create a schedule for posting content so everything is well-organized and consistent.
MOCKUPS
Don’t Ignore using mockups to make social media images for your social accounts.
AUTHENTICITY
Not being authentic. People don’t want to hear your sales pitch or be bombarded by advertising. Give something of value to get their attention and keep it.
TIMING
Posting too often or not enough. There’s no magic number for how many times a day you should post, but it shouldn’t be 5 times either, that’s for sure! Do the research on your target audience and find out when they are most active, then schedule posts accordingly.
CONSISTENCY
You’re inconsistent. Once you have your plan figured out, stick to it and make sure all your posts are on-brand and consistent with your goals. What do your updates say about your business? Make sure they’re saying what you want them to say.
PLATFORMS
Treating All Platforms the Same – Each social network has its own unique etiquette and audience expectations. For example, it’s okay to post more often on Twitter than on Facebook because that’s what people expect on Twitter. But if you post too often on Facebook, people will get annoyed and unfollow you. Each network has a different culture; you need to fit in or risk getting ignored or worse, becoming the object of ridicule or hatred.
FOLLOWING
Not following back. Show your fans some love by following them back. Especially on Twitter! It makes people feel appreciated and heard when they know you’re listening, so they will be more likely to return the favor with a follow or a share, or even just some good ole fashioned word-of-mouth recommendations!
COMMENTS
Ignoring negative comments/feedback. Negative feedback is not always bad! Why? Because it gives you an opportunity to show the person (and everyone else) how much you care about customer service! Respond quickly, resolve the issue as best you can, and always thank the customer for bringing it to your attention.
We hope you’ll walk away from this article with a more realistic and effective understanding of how to measure and improve your social media presence. By avoiding these seven common mistakes, you’ll be well on your way toward creating successful, engaging online presences.