Social media offers the perfect way to communicate directly with customers. It is possible for your content to quickly go viral, reaching a huge audience in no time. You can, however, go viral for the wrong reasons, potentially alienating those who would have bought from you. Many social media mistakes are not so catastrophic, though, and simply offer a less than stellar marketing effort. By avoiding common problems, both minor and severe, you can keep in touch with your audience, find new prospects, and increase sales.
What are the social media marketing mistakes you need to avoid?
Posting Too Much
It can be hard to gauge exactly how frequently to update your social media accounts. A common problem occurs when businesses feel they need to be active, resulting in a publishing schedule that irritates followers. This type of activity is common on Twitter, often with automated posting leading to the same posts being added to the feed repeatedly. If you have a dedicated social media manager, updating social media and creating new campaigns will be part of their role, but it is important to find a balance. Watch follow and unfollow rates to determine when your activities are hitting the mark.
Not Posting Enough
The opposite problem occurs when social sites are left dormant for long periods. A lack of posting is often the result of an entrepreneur or small business treating social media as a secondary activity. Without any dedicated role, primary accounts might see updates only when something major happens. It is hard for followers to engage when there is little sign of life in an account, so ensure you are creating and updating content fans want to see.
Too Promotional
It is natural for a business to include promotional messages on their social media accounts, but it is important to consider how your followers will react. If you post the same promotions repeatedly, people might start to wonder why they are following you. Instead, try mixing in quality content with promotional material, integrating a formula of ads and subject matter expert material and off topic relevant material, like inspirational messages for literary writers or ominous quotes from Stephen King for horror writers, for example. Book buyers like to feel a personal connection with authors, making their reading experiences more enjoyable, so don’t focus only on ads and business—be social!
No Communication
Inevitably, customers and prospective buyers will get in contact via social media. A lack of communication with these people will send the wrong impression of your business, suggesting you are not fully engaged with your audience. It can be tough to deal with a large volume of responses, but good communication over social media can secure many new customers and increase your brand reputation. Check for messages and replies at least every other day so you can reply to these engagement moments in a timely manner. A great reply a week late won’t make them feel valued.
Lack of Focus
The many conversations and topics across social media platforms can make it hard to remain focused. It is easy to start discussing various issues that hold no relevance to your business. Mix up the type of content you’re pushing out, but keep it relevant. If your brand and products have nothing to do with politics, don’t talk or share other posts about politics. If you write romance novels, don’t talk or share sci-fi type materials, unless your romances happen in space. Mix it up, but don’t stray from your own yard.
Misjudged Attempts to Go Viral
If your content can go viral, gaining many new followers is highly likely. In most cases, though, a large proportion of the new fans won’t be targeted, so there is less chance of converting them to customers. Also, plenty of businesses have suffered from the adverse public reaction when they tried to benefit from a new trend. There may be opportunities to contribute to hot topics, but be careful of a potential backlash from existing customers.
Many businesses struggle to find the right tone for their social media accounts. An overly corporate feel can put off followers. You can also harm your reputation if you adopt a frivolous approach. The method you follow should suit your business and overall branding, but it is important to avoid the common mistakes that stand in the way of a successful social campaign. When you start to see positive results in the form of likes, shares, retweets, and other positive feedback, you can replicate your efforts long into the future.
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