Twenty years ago, telling a business owner that the “world wide web” would shape how brands market and sell their products and services would have been ridiculous. It was 1999, after all. People were mostly concerned about the turn of the millennium and Friends was still on at 830 PM every Thursday.
Needless to say, it was a different time.
Today, traversing the social media landscape can be tricky for any brand. It is almost suicide for a company not to hone a social presence but it can also be difficult not to make any tacky faux pas.
If you are starting out and you want to do right by Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other platform, below are common mistakes that you best avoid:
No Plan, No Problems? We Don’t Think So.
Tackling social media without a plan is like going on a skiing trip without skis – it won’t be fun and it would be a massive waste of time. Sure, it is exciting once you get there – it is a totally new place after, all. But after a few weeks of not knowing what to do, you just end up staring at snow and dirt.
Before anything else, you have to figure out the main objectives of your social channels.
Do you want more leads?
Do you want more engagement?
Do you want to launch a new product?
It is important that you treat your social efforts like any other marketing campaign your brand invests on. Goals, budgets, and timelines should be determined even before creating an account.
Casting Too Big of A Net – You Ain’t Jesus
Social media is exciting. Without having to leave your office, you get to connect with thousands even millions of potential clients with just a laptop and an internet connection.
Nevertheless, it is easy to get too excited and try to reach every single person in every social media platform – even those outside of your target market. As we said, you ain’t Jesus and you shouldn’t be casting too big of a net.
The content that you post on your social channels would be determined partly by the people want to reach. You don’t have to be in every single social platform especially if your target isn’t there. Save your resources on the platforms that would provide the best ROI.
Facebook Ain’t Twitter – Social Media Platforms Aren’t Created Equal
Like people, social platforms have strong suits and weak spots. While there are types of content that can be posted across all platforms, it is important to arm yourself with each platforms’ pros and cons.
Take Instagram for example. Instagram is all about images and creating an aesthetic. It simply isn’t smart to post content that includes a link especially because the link would not be clickable. Likewise, creating a Youtube video that is basically a powerpoint with huge chunks of texts would likely not get your brand on the trending page.
Again, your brand doesn’t have to be on every social platform available online. Do your research and align a platform’s strong suit with your objectives. This way you ensure that you hit your goals without expending too much resources.
Too Hard on the Hard Sell
We get it. You are investing on social media for your brand because you want people to learn about your business and sell as much product as you can. Social media is great for that goal, we don’t blame you for being too pushy on the sales talk.
However, people tend to steer away from social accounts that only post promotions and nothing else. Your content must be valuable to them, otherwise, you lose a follower.
There is nothing wrong with posting promotions once in a while. But remember, that shoving your product down your audience’ throats will most likely not convince them to patronize your brand. Building a relationship and providing useful content will.
Boo-hoo – Not Knowing How to Deal with Negativity
Even the best, most responsive brands have to deal with negative feedback. Your brand simply cannot please everyone. What sets a good company from a great one is how they deal with this negativity.
We know it can be tricky. There are people who get off on being trolls online with no real purpose. The first step is to determine whether or not you should even engage.
If it is a past customer complaining about your product or service, a prompt response is in order. Give them the means to contact you privately in order to discuss their concerns. Make sure that you reply within hours and not days. Most of all, two things – never lie, and always be polite.
Everybody makes mistakes. Thankfully, with research, patience, and a whole lot of coffee and screen time, you do not have to make the ones above.
Let us know and thank us later!
