1. Treating Social Media Marketing as a One-Way Street
You shouldn’t be shouting into a void. Instead, focus on creating opportunities for dialogue with your customers. This is your opportunity to listen to your audience, rather than forcing your message upon people. Take this moment to respond to comments or complaints. Always remember, getting into arguments with online trolls won’t look great for your brand, and ignoring legitimate complaints, questions, or concerns will look bad for you.
2. Jumping Straight into the Sale
Brands that are too promotional can be a huge turn off for people. So, start by building trust. How you may ask? Focus on being authentic, genuine, and helpful with valuable content – you’ll naturally develop a relationship with people and build trust. It’s all about providing value first and often, then creating multiple touch points for communication with your customers. Once you establish that relationship, a safe bet is one promotional piece of content for every four social media posts. (You’ll need to test this to see what works with your audience.)
3. Failing to Tie Social Media Marketing to Your Overall Marketing Goals
Align your social media efforts with your content marketing and promotions. By making useful content, you can build trust and relationships with your audience. If you’re an expert in your field, use that expertise to give advice to people. Building that trust will be a long-term strategy that can grow your business. Also, by making social media a part of your overall marketing strategy, you can build a holistic personality that is consistent throughout your messaging.
4. Treating Social Media Marketing as a Single Discipline
Social media marketing is so much more than just posting on social media. It is a vehicle for: social listening, social influencing, social networking, and social selling. This is called the social media success cycle. It will not only generate awareness for your brand, but will also help you discover what your audience wants so you can better meet their needs.
In today’s digital age, social media is no longer a ‘nice-to-have,’ but a must. If you use this business tool strategically, it can be a powerful catalyst for growth. (You’ll need to measure and analyze your social media marketing efforts to ensure this. Check out our blog on the metrics that matter.) Most importantly, remember to be authentic, less promotional, and more focused on your audience – you’ll win life-long fans along the way.
