Yay! You’re managing your business’ social media strategy! We here at Spark Growth Partners are proud of you. No matter the type of company and demographic, you’re really missing out if your brand doesn’t have an online presence. It can seem scary, but if you’re organized and have fun with it, it’ll pay off.
Managing social media accounts can be easy, and that’s why we hate to see it done wrong. Whether it’s bad posts, inactivity, or just plain rudeness, we see how easy it is for companies to not only ignore the power of social media, but use it in a way that actually hurts their brand. That’s why we’re happy to present our list of social media mistakes that are easily avoidable:
1. You aren’t posting regularly (or at all)
Your followers will notice if you haven’t posted in a month, or ever. It makes your company seem impersonal and uninvolved. The easiest way to engage with your fans is by showing you care.
2. You post way too much
Clogging up people’s newsfeeds is a sure-fire way to get people to unfollow you, and even worse, start viewing your brand negatively. Planning your posts in advance or using a tool like HootSuite will help you make sure you’re posting regularly but not driving people nuts with useless information.
3. You’re on every social network
Joining every new social network that pops up will spread you thin. Know your content, your brand’s lifestyle and what tools your demographic is using to focus your efforts. For example, don’t join Instagram if you don’t have anything to take pictures of and you want to target 60 year olds.
4. Your posts aren’t relevant
The best social media plan is to have a mix of promotional, inspiration, engaging and educational posts. If all your posts are about sales and promotions, people will become disinterested. At the same time, being overly personal might alienate people. Find useful things that fit your brand’s lifestyle and keep people thinking about your product.
5. You aren’t updating your brand’s design (or, even worse, haven’t even made a cover photo yet)
Customized designs for your pages are important. Updating your profiles with a fresh design every once in awhile will bring customers attention back to you. Show you’re relevant by using all the visual features provided to promote different aspects of your brand. Have fun with it, and don’t forget to update as social media platforms change!
6. All your social media channels are linked
It’s very possible that your customers are following you on both Twitter and Facebook, so don’t post the exact same thing on both! If you’re promoting the same content on different channels, try different wording to hook new viewers. Also, writing for Twitter is very different than Facebook because of the world limit, so it pays to know how to write for both.
7. You’re not responding to engaged users
No no no! This one is painful. Responding to users who are already active is the easiest way to spread a positive image of your brand. Even things as simple as liking favorable comments show you’re listening to what they say and will keep them coming back.
It pays to always be thinking about how to improve your business’ online presence, no matter the size or demographic. If you’re worried about making mistakes in your social media strategy and want to read more, check out these links:
5 Inexcusable Social Media Sins
Marketing Myths You Should Ignore