Don’t Make These Social Media Mistakes
Avoid these mistakes that business owners often make:
1) Ignoring your brand
You put a lot of effort into your branding. Your social media efforts should carry the same message and branding. Inconsistent branding may confuse or turn off customers.
2) Putting in minimal or inconsistent effort
Your social media efforts must be consistent and timely in order to make an impact. If you are not continually providing new and valuable content, customers will begin to ignore you (or forget you).
3) Forgetting to measure impact
You must be able to tie your marketing efforts to measurable results (sales). While social media is free, it still costs time and effort to use it effectively. Try using coupons, special URLs, or Google Analytics to track the impact of your campaigns.
4) Providing little value
Committing to regular social media updates alone will not ensure an impact for your business. You must provide something of value to your target audience. If you understand your target audience, you should already know what they value.
5) Failing to convert visitors to sales
Do not forget the ultimate goal of your social media efforts. Include a call to action to engage your audience.
6) Being insensitive
Tying your social media posts to current events can be an effective way to keep your content relevant. Be cautious and do not try to use sensitive or polarizing issues to your advantage.
Establish a strategy prior to engaging in social media. Be certain that you can dedicate enough resources to making social media a powerful contributor to your bottom line. Effective social media marketing can greatly improve your business’s reach and customer relationships.
Content contributed by Ryan Pingel, State of Ingenuity SourceLink (Wisconsin/Illinois). State of Ingenuity SourceLink is a proud affiliate of U.S. SourceLink, America’s largest resource network for entrepreneurs.
