It’s a well-known fact that social media marketing is essential for business growth and consumer engagement these days. No matter the size of your business, these social platforms are a necessary part in growing awareness for your products/services. Unfortunately, there have been too many brands that make the same mistakes over and over (and over) again.
Don’t let your business have a bad impression on social media; avoid these common social media marketing mistakes and become a social powerhouse brand!
Mistake #1 – Having Accounts on Too Many Social Platforms
There is such a thing as being too socially involved, and it’s where your brand tries to build a presence on every social media channel under the sun. Sure, it’s important to be on more than one channel, but only be on channels that make sense for your brand (especially if you’re a small business).
Also, if you’re just now getting into social media, it will be a lot easier to start off with one or two platforms to ensure you’re doing it correctly. If you rush your efforts on Facebook Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat and YouTube, you’ll look like you don’t know what you’re doing. This could then lead to losing your followers’ trust and, ultimately, lose sales and recognition.
Mistake #2 – Paying for Followers
Like most things that go into consideration for your digital marketing status, quality will always beat quantity. Social media is here to build “legit” relationships with consumers, not building your following. Gaining genuine followers will take time and effort, but paying for them can have a negative impact on your pages. If your “human” followers find out about you purchasing followers, it could tarnish your brand and affect your bottom line.
Bottom line: DON’T DO IT!
Mistake #3 – Upselling Yourself Too Often
Toby Keith’s song “I Wanna Talk About Me” may have been a hit back in the 2000s, but it’s message applies to how businesses should act on social media today. The song’s message is about how annoying his girlfriend is because she talks about herself nonstop. This also applies to a brand’s social media channels – don’t talk about yourself on every post! It’s really off-putting and gets old after a while. Promoting your products/services is certainly important, but make sure to share content that is both relevant to your niche and not always written by you.
Consider using the 5-3-2 Model for social sharing, which was designed to keep your followers engaged and build a larger following. If you publish 10 posts per week:
- 5 should be qualified content from others
- 3 should be content written by you that is relevant but not salesy
- 2 should be fun, personal posts that humanizes your brand
Mistake #4 – Not Proofing Your Posts
This happens WAY more than it should. Poor grammar and spelling can make your brand look, well, sloppy and can even ruin your credibility. Whether it means having to write your posts the night before and proofing them in the morning or asking your coworker to proof them before posting, it’s important to create a positive, yet professional, impression with your audience with polished posts.
Mistake #5 – Not Being Social
Businesses need to do more than just create a profile and post daily; they need to be responsive and engage with their followers. Consumers hope to believe they’re following a human versus a robot, which is why it’s crucial to respond to comments and create posts that spark conversation with your followers. This will build trust between you and your customers and give your brand a voice/personality, as well.
BONUS: Not Having a Social Strategy
You would never enter your other areas of marketing without a plan, and social media is no exception. Check out our post about creating a killer content strategy for social media.
Harness the power of social media for your business and avoid these common mistakes when building your social media presence. To learn more about social media marketing, contact GreenMellen Media today!
