These days, social media is an essential part of digital marketing. However, there are a number of pitfalls you need to avoid in order to build your brand’s social media presence and ensure it doesn’t fizzle out.
So what makes some social media marketing campaigns really take off, while others dwindle?
Read on to find out.
Pitfalls to Avoid When Creating Your Social Media Presence
As a business owner, you know what it means to have expertise in a certain area. Unless you’re an expert in social media, you may be approaching this part of your marketing strategy with a certain level of trepidation—and for good reason. Many brands find that their social media strategies are less than successful. Some even manage to hurt their brand image by reacting to negative feedback in a way they later regret.
Nonetheless, social media is too good of a tool to forgo altogether. And when wielded responsibly, it can generate massive results for your marketing efforts. All you need to do is educate yourself ahead of time so that you can avoid some of the most common pitfalls along the way. Here are some social media mistakes to watch out for:
Failing to formulate a cohesive approach
Social media can feel like a casual thing, leading many brands to believe they can “just wing it” and survive. However, this part of your marketing plan should be taken just as seriously as other advertising channels, especially in the area of planning.
Like other marketing strategies, you’ll want to start by outlining measurable goals and consistently track your progress. In addition, you’ll need to figure out what your target audience is and what tactics are needed to reach them on these platforms. While social media is certainly an effective way to connect with large numbers of people, you won’t be able to gain the attention of your intended audience without some in-depth research and precise targeting tactics.
Finally, understand the time investment required to see your plan through and assign a team to the task. Ensure that they have a deadline set for achieving their goals so time isn’t wasted on efforts that simply aren’t working.
Reacting poorly to negative feedback
Negative feedback should always be seen as an opportunity to start an important conversation—not a threat to run away from. Choosing to establish a social media presence does open up the door to criticism from people on these platforms. But by being prepared to handle it and using it to make your brand stronger, you’ll show that you take your customers and their opinions seriously. In return, they’ll be more likely to listen to what you have to say in the future.
Make sure you download our ‘Guide to Managing Online Reviews’.
Minimizing the importance of a personal touch
Social media is all about connecting with others on a personal level. If you leave out that “human touch” when crafting your brand message, users are sure to notice and put their guard up. We naturally gravitate to both people and brands we feel we can relate to and engage with over time. If your social media presence gives off the air of a faceless corporation, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb on social media and risk being completely ignored.
Overpromoting your brand
This is a tricky one, as you’re on social media in order to promote your brand. Since the world of social media revolves around communication and connection, there are still plenty of ways to get your message across without being read as strictly “promotional.” Aim for the majority of your content to focus on engagement and interaction, rather than sales, and you’ll have a better chance of growing an audience that can be converted at a later time.
Thinking you can automate your social media presence
Unfortunately, you can’t put social media on autopilot and expect it to work. Again, the key point here is user engagement, which is a two-way street. If you’re not doing your part to continue the conversation and investing the time needed to maintain a relationship with your customers online, you’ll see your hard-earned follower numbers dry up at an alarming rate. Of course, you can set content to be posted in advance and automate your accounts to some degree. However, things, like replying to comments and answering questions, need to be completed in real time.
Posting low-value content
Yes, posting content often and consistently is crucial. However, so is the value of that content. If users begin to associate your brand with posts that do nothing but clutter their news feed, they will not only unfollow you, but they will also be much less likely to pay attention when you appear in other advertising channels.
Start Doing Social Media The Right Way
With more than 3.7 Billion active users on Social Media, brands can’t afford to miss out on developing the right social media strategy for their brand. Whether you have 50 locations or 5,000 locations, Qiigo has a customized approach to ensure you’re getting the most out of your Social Media Marketing. Contact us today to learn more and get started!
