One big mistake many businesses make in their social media marketing strategy is treating all their social media networks the same.
Social media can be a powerful marketing tool, and business branding through social media can also be a very cost-efficient strategy, especially for small businesses. When developing a social media marketing strategy it is natural that some mistakes will be made. However, using it the wrong way could have a big negative impact on your business. Here are four social media marketing mistakes that could hurt your business.
1. Not Learning About Your Customer Base – An important social media marketing strategy that some businesses miss is learning about who their customer base is. You can add people to your contact list and get Facebook fans and Twitter followers ‘till you’re blue in the face. However, if you don’t know who they are, those Facebook fans or Twitter followers are useless to your business. You need to make sure you’re engaging with your customer base. Find out who they are and what they’re interested in to convert those fans and followers into solid sales leads.
2. All Social Media Sites Are Not The Same – One big mistake many businesses make in their social media marketing strategy is treating all their social media networks the same. Each social media network is different, has its own language, customers and audience. It’s important to learn how people are communicating and sharing on each site.
Many businesses blast the same exact message at the same time across all their social media networks not realizing that this can come across as fake, impersonal or even spam-like. To avoid this you need to be strategic when writing and posting. Make sure you are writing different status updates for each social media network. Also, make sure to learn a bit about how your Facebook fans and Twitter followers are responding to posts on your social media networks. What are people engaging with more? What times are you seeing the most activity? Once you learn these two things you can better plan your social media updates so your business is getting the most out of every post.
3. No Social Media Bio – The first thing a Facebook fan sees when they check out your social media network is your company’s bio. If you have nothing written in your about section or it’s missing your businesses’ location or website, you’re missing out on a huge social media marketing opportunity. If people don’t know what your company does then why should they follow your social media network? Don’t assume that people know who you are and what you do. Even big brand names make sure to have their about section filled out in detail.
Another tip: Be creative! Try to make your “about” section intriguing, fun and engaging. If you’re writing your bio and it seems boring, then it is most likely boring to your Facebook fans too. Check out these two company bio sections for some inspiration: bareMinerals and Jamba Juice.
4. It’s About Quality, Not Quantity – Finally, many businesses are far too worried about the number of Twitter followers or Facebook fans they have; but that number doesn’t necessarily translate to sales. The truth is, your business needs to be more worried about the quality of Facebook fans and Twitter followers you have. It’s more valuable for your business to have a hundred highly engaged brand advocates than a thousand followers or fans that never engage or share with your brand. The goal is to build a strong community of loyal, lifelong fans and followers who will boost about your company to their friends and family.
What are your tips for things to avoid while setting up a social media marketing strategy? We want to hear from you!
Special Offer: Complimentary Consultation
Three Girls Media, Inc. is a public relations and social media management agency with teams in Silicon Valley and the Seattle area. We love working with small and emerging companies across the nation to raise their brand awareness and name recognition. We offer a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation with our CEO and can answer your questions and discuss your specific marketing needs.
Call 408-218-2391 or Contact us today to arrange yours!
Photo Credit: Book Worm Laser & Design