Here are some 12 social media mistakes your business could be making. Perhaps you are struggling to see results from your current social media performance because of some common social media mistakes. If done right, social media could be one of the most cost-effective marketing tools for your business. However, all too often, social media is used without a clear strategy, which could do your business more harm than good. If you have concerns about your business page’s performance, this blog will give you a few potential issues to watch out for and some tricks on how to fix them.
- Outdated content
Posting outdated content can harm your brand’s reputation and credibility. It may give the impression that your business is not up-to-date or lacks attention to detail. This mistake occurs when businesses share information, promotions, or news that has expired or become obsolete.
You should consistently publish posts that will keep your followers engaged. This will keep your followers happy with your social media page/account. If you have a company blog, share relevant articles.
- There’s a disconnect from the marketing strategy – a big social media mistake
Your social media objectives should be the same as your overall marketing objectives, ensuring that all campaigns work together to achieve the desired business outcome. If your focus is on driving traffic to your website, there are several paid-for and organic strategic tools you can use. These include conversion pixels on Facebook advertisements, or simply placing a shortened link within your post.
Facebook display ad example
Whatever your marketing strategy is, focus on targeting the right people with the right messaging. If you are new to social media, it is important to establish your desired tone of voice, aligned with your overarching marketing strategy. If your brand is a fun, conversational brand at large, continue that tone. If you want to portray a corporate edge, show that in your copy.
- The platforms are not fully understood.
Each platform requires its own strategy, all interlinked with concise, unified messaging. There is no need for your business to be on every platform, particularly if you do not have the free time to cater to each platform’s audience. Think about what you want to get out of social media, and what assets you have available to support your messaging.
B2B marketing for Twitter and LinkedIn
Both Twitter and LinkedIn have great uses for B2B marketing. LinkedIn is predominantly a platform for stakeholders, employees (both current and prospective), and internal communications. If you want to focus on building relationships in your industry, LinkedIn is a professional playground of contacts. Twitter is a time-sensitive platform, requiring an always-on approach. With its shorter character limits, content should be news-focused with fast and interactive business updates.
B2C marketing for Instagram
Instagram’s initial use was as a photography platform, with many businesses latching onto its popularity, and so Instagram’s business function was formed. Keep up to date with a consumer-targeted audience on this platform. Content must be visually effective and not text-heavy, using relevant industry hashtags to get your message out to the widest possible audience.
The all-rounder for Facebook
Facebook is the people’s platform. Its social media dominance is widely recognized, with the network raking in $9.16 billion in the second quarter of 2017 alone.
Both B2C and B2B businesses have a place on Facebook, but either way, if you’re wanting to branch out onto Zuckerberg’s money-making machine, make sure you are prepared to compete with the best. Successful Facebook campaigns rely heavily on a strategy that uses videos, images, and snappy, concise copy.
- The reaction isn’t fast enough.
Social media is known for its always-on approach – meaning that if you are unresponsive or delayed on your pages, you may be doing your business a huge injustice.
When someone decides to follow your page, there is a certain expectation that responses will have a fast reaction time, otherwise, that customer may choose to use the phone or email, instead of talking to your social media pages. A quick response time can be a great buffer for complaints and can quickly turn around negative brand sentiment if dealt with quickly and efficiently. Programs like Hootsuite are great for keeping an eye on multiple platforms at the same time, allowing you to delegate responses to the best experts in your team.
Hootsuite dashboard
If you do not have a dedicated social media manager at your business, the responsibility to check the pages should be spread among the team, all unified by the same brand tone that has been pre-decided in your social media tactics.
- There is no plan for social media crisis communications.
The addition of online networks adds a significant level of complexity to crisis communications. Along with the rapid pace of posts, there’s also a sense of user control and instant delivery that can be daunting for businesses. Implementing a comprehensive plan across the company will enable you to respond swiftly and efficiently when a crisis arises. Instead of wasting time deliberating on how to manage the situation, you’ll be equipped to take decisive action and mitigate the crisis. Your plan for social media crisis communications should encompass the following:
- Roles and responsibilities list for every department
- Approval processes for social media content management
- Copy of the company-wide social media policy
- Pre-approved external messaging, images, and/or information
- Up-to-date contact information for employees in each field
- Guidelines for identifying the type and magnitude of a crisis
However, cliché, fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Having a crisis communications plan in place means that you may be able to mitigate issues before they snowball into a full-blown brand crisis.
- You have a strong attachment to the brand.
To appeal to the broadest audience, it’s important to set aside internal biases about your business when crafting your social media strategy. Instead of focusing solely on promoting your products, consider how your offerings can improve the lives of your audience. Before sharing content, ask yourself: why would the audience find this valuable, and does the post-offer engagement, education, or thought provocation?
- Social Media is Run by an Intern
Allowing interns to oversee your social media channels can lead to problems. Many companies have faced issues when interns make mistakes such as poor spelling or grammar, sharing personal opinions that don’t match the brand, or lacking knowledge about the business.
Just because someone has a college education and knows about social media doesn’t mean they should handle your company’s public communication channels without proper supervision. Effective social media management requires a deep understanding of your products, services, overall business, editorial strategy, and more. While it’s okay to train interns, ensure they are supervised by a social media professional with several years of formal work experience.
- Not Using an Authentic “Voice”
Social media creates a personal, direct connection with your followers, so it’s important to humanize your social media presence. Before you begin posting and tweeting, think about your brand history and identity and how that translates into a social media “voice.” Once you’ve found your authentic voice, use it consistently in all your posts.
Of course, your brand voice doesn’t have to be stuffy or serious; in fact, this is one marketing channel where it’s OK to show your humorous, quirky, casual side.
- Lack of Consistency & Focus
When your PR team starts a campaign, they usually have a specific group of people they’re aiming to reach, just like you would when running an ad or sending an email. But what about social media? Are you targeting an audience or just putting your content out there for everyone to see? This “spray and pray” approach, where you advertise your business everywhere and hope people notice, often doesn’t give businesses the results they want. Instead, focus on connecting with the people who matter most to your business – your customers and potential customers!
Once you’ve figured out who you’re targeting, it’s important to be consistent. How often do you post? It’s not good to leave your social media accounts inactive for days or weeks. Decide on a schedule that works for you and stick to it. If possible, create a calendar to plan your posts for the upcoming week or month. It takes some time upfront, but having a plan and strategy in place from the beginning can save you a lot of time in the long run.
- Posting the Same Content Across Every Channel
Each social media platform attracts a different group of people and works best for different kinds of posts. To get the best results, it’s important to customize your posts for each platform and the people who follow you there.
For example, a detailed discussion of a recent Supreme Court decision might be suitable for a law firm’s LinkedIn page, but not for its Facebook page, where the audience may not be as interested in technical topics.
However, great images, infographics, and videos work well on all platforms, so they’re an exception to the rule. Still, it’s important to keep your audience in mind. Make sure to write unique blurbs for each post that fit the platform, and pay attention to things like character limits and hashtag preferences.
When it comes to handling complaints, it’s important to be sensitive and handle them carefully. Social media is different from dealing with complaints in person, so it’s best to respond with care and without injecting personal opinions.
If you think your business’s social media pages could use a fresh pair of eyes, contact us today for more details on our social media marketing services.
- Going off-topic
Posting content that is unrelated or irrelevant to the main focus or theme of your business or brand is a mistake. This is because it can confuse or alienate your audience, who may follow you for specific content or information related to your niche. Posting off-topic content can dilute your brand’s messaging and diminish the effectiveness of your social media efforts. It’s essential to maintain consistency and relevance in your posts to keep your audience engaged and interested in what you have to offer.
- Avoiding negative feedback
No matter what you do, some people will give you negative feedback. While some companies ignore it, you shouldn’t. Instead, accept the criticism and respond kindly. If you get negative comments on your posts, thank the person for sharing their concern and address it professionally.
Conclusion
If you’re new to social media marketing, it’s normal to make mistakes, but learning about common pitfalls can help you avoid them in the future. You can also entrust your business to Ronel Agency’s social media team for an enhanced experience. Don’t expect to achieve success right away by using the same strategy that worked before. Success may take time, and you might need to try different approaches before you see significant results from your social media efforts.
