As a small business or marketer, social media has become an indispensable tool for reaching your target audience and driving engagement. However, with the ubiquity of social media comes a multitude of mistakes that can harm your brand and hinder your marketing strategy. In this post, we will explore 5 social media mistakes that can harm your business, that businesses should avoid.
Having a social media presence without a proper strategy is like driving without a map. You won’t know where you’re going and how to get there. Many small businesses randomly post without a clear objective. This leads to unfocused content that fails to resonate with your audience. To avoid this, create a social media strategy that aligns with your business goals. Define your target audience, content themes and posting frequency. With a clear roadmap, you’re able to measure your success and adjust your future posts.
Many small businesses start off strong but fail to keep up with consistent posting. Posting once in a while or for weeks and months can have a detrimental effect on their social media presence. You need to be consistent to build trust with your followers and stay top of mind. Decide on a schedule that’s manageable for you and stick with it. Plan your content in advance so that you’re not scrambling to find something to post at the last minute. Consistency is key.
Social media is all about engagement. It’s about creating a dialogue between you and your followers. Many small businesses make the mistake of ignoring their audience. This can be by not responding to comments or direct messages or not interacting with other accounts. Ignoring your audience can make them feel unappreciated and eventually lead to unfollows. Make it a point to respond to all comments and messages. Engage with your followers by following them back, sharing their content or creating polls and asking for their opinions.
Yes, the ultimate goal of social media is to promote your business but that shouldn’t be your only focus. Over-promoting can make your content seem spammy and put off your audience. Try to balance your promotional posts with informative, educational or entertaining content. The 80/20 rule applies here. This involves posting 80% engaging and educational content and 20% promotional content.
Social media is a visual platform and creativity is key to stand out. Many small businesses make the mistake of posting dull, unappealing content. Make your posts engaging with appealing images and videos. Use quotes, animations or infographics to make your content pop. Follow current trends and stay on top of the latest hashtags. Creativity doesn’t have to come easy but with practice and experimenting, you can create amazing content.
Social media is a vital part of a small businesses’ marketing strategy. By avoiding these 5 social media mistakes that can harm your business, small businesses can increase their online presence and engagement with their audience. Remember to have a clear social media strategy, be consistent, engage with your audience, balance your promotional content and be creative. Most importantly, always be willing to learn and adjust your social media approach based on what works for your brand. Let our team at 98 Buck Social help you get started!