Common Social Media Marketing Mistakes Made By New Businesses

Social media marketing has taken the internet marketing world by storm. From mom and pop shops to major corporations, all types of businesses are implementing social media marketing strategies. However, it is very crucial to take the proper steps and avoid major mistakes.

New businesses may not approach social media marketing correctly simply due to a lack of familiarity with it. This is perfectly normal and there are ways to remedy this issue. We will discuss the most common social media marketing mistakes and how they can be avoided.

Setting The Bar Too High
Businesses that are new to social media platforms may believe that simply creating a Twitter, Facebook and an Instagram page will draw in business. This sentiment is true to some extent, but only if a genuine effort is put forward. Billions of consumers access these social media platforms each day. In theory, that means a new business has unlimited potential for reaching new buyers.

However, these pages are virtually invisible if they are not promoted and do not feature quality content. Posting a few times a month without actively seeking followers will do next to nothing. To see real results from social media marketing, it is necessary to put forth effort daily or several times per week. Additionally, the posts cannot be repetitive and they must reach the target audience.

So, how can this problem be resolved? Many successful businesses choose to hire a social media manager. There is also the option of outsourcing social media management via platforms like UpWork and Freelancer. These options are ideal for new businesses that cannot commit several hours per week to maintaining their social media pages.

Failure To Engage
New businesses are often eager to share information about their products or services via social media. While this is important, it should not be the main focus of social media usage. Engaging the target audience and keeping them interested is key. Here are a few ways that successful businesses use social media to communicate with consumers:

– Make sure that all comments, messages and Tweets are replied to as quickly as possible. When someone leaves negative comments, it is necessary to reply in a polite, concerned and sincere manner.

– Ask questions that prompt page viewers to answer them. For example, a cosmetics company can post a photo of color swatches and then ask viewers to pick their favorite hue for an upcoming product. This shows sincere interest in the customer’s input and it keeps them interested.

– Sharing occasional freebies and samples is an excellent way to engage new customers and clients. These may be physical products or digital goods. For example, a renovation company could link users to a free PDF guide to do-it-yourself decorating projects.

Ignoring Issues
Social media platforms give consumers an open space to address their issues with a company or its products. This may seem like a negative thing but it can be spun in a positive manner. Staying transparent and immediately addressing any issues is very crucial.

For example, imagine that multiple customers are commenting about a free shipping code not working properly. When this happens, it is necessary for a business to promptly address the issue. Admitting to the error, apologizing and then working on resolving the issue is the best way to stay transparent. Avoidance or failure to address issues is very detrimental to social media marketing.

Foolproof Ways To Find Social Media Success
Social media marketing and management is a full-time job. Seeking assistance from a marketing company or hiring in-house assistance is the best solution. This does require an initial investment, but the ROI is high when it comes to your branding. Everyone makes mistakes as they begin their new business ventures. With proper help from marketing professionals, these mistakes can be avoided.

Jonathan Leger, Internet Marketer, KeywordCanine.com