As social media’s influence on search results and audience reach continues to grow, even the last holdouts are beginning to jump on board and integrate social media marketing into their brand strategy. If you lack the funds to hire a marketing firm or an in-house social media manager but still want to get your business on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or another social platform, you can absolutely manage your company’s social profile on your own! Simply avoid the following common errors:
- Inappropriate tools to monetize and analyze social media
- Inconsistent social media use
- Using social media without no or little research
- Inept or careless posting
- Over-marketing to social followers
Inappropriate tools to monetize and analyze social media
Many businesses have hugely successful social media accounts but no way to monetize or track their impact. A good social media strategy will help you increase your social media ROI by converting your social followers into customers. Avoid using social media without a solid marketing strategy and analytics tools set up so you can track the results and improve your strategy.
Inconsistent social media use
You must follow your company’s social media strategy when interacting on social media. Too often, a company will launch a social media campaign and then forget about it. Consistent updates keep people interested and talking about the business. If the company doesn’t update regularly, most people will forget about it.
Using social media without no or little research
Many businesses try to appeal to the younger generation by adopting as many trends as possible. The younger generation is usually skeptical and sees right through it. When trying to attract the web-savvy consumer, be sincere and intelligent (or at least appear to be). Without understanding how social media works, simply joining and posting promotional content is doomed to fail. It’s possible to be banned from Reddit for posting links that are overtly self-promotional and add little value to the average Redditor. Understand the nuances of each social network, such as Reddit, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc.
Inept or careless posting
Just because social media is casual doesn’t mean you should post cat memes and the newest intern’s lunch. Maintain a professional demeanor while using social media (after all, it is a place to interact informally with your target market). Many businesses have been criticized for allowing employees to post negative comments about the company. Posting controversial opinions can get business owners in trouble and cause market issues. A post on behalf of your company should not offend or irritate your followers and should add value to their experience.
Over-marketing to social followers
Trying to constantly market your business on social media will only serve to annoy and alienate your followers. Businesses must balance marketing and providing useful information to their customers. If the company’s information isn’t valuable, customers won’t keep checking back for updates. When using social media marketing for your business, follow the 80/20 rule: post non-promotional content that your readers value 80% of the time, and self-promotional content 20% of the time. If you break the rule and spam your social followers with self-serving ads, you will lose followers, shrink your audience, and waste your social efforts.