Social media marketing is a lot harder than it seems. You are responsible for posting consistent, high-quality content that is valuable to your fans and followers. You also have to keep up with the latest social media trends and take advantage of the latest tools. No wonder why more and more businesses are outsourcing their social media marketing needs!
In this post, we’ll discuss some helpful tips on maximizing your time and results on social media by forgetting a few bad habits. This will free up more time to create the content that your audience wants.
Being overpromotional
A common mistake that brands make is being too self-centered on social media. If all of your posts scream, “ME, ME, ME!”, you’re going to lose followers quickly. While it’s okay to point people in the direction of your products and services, social media is really a place to connect with new and existing customers and grow a stronger community.
Overlooking negative feedback
It’s never fun to get negative feedback from a customer, but you can’t please everyone. What you don’t want to do is ignore or delete the comment or review. This makes it look like you’re trying to hide something or that you don’t respect your customers’ opinions.
Instead, address the comment, apologize for the negative experience and let the person know that you’re working on a solution. Then, try to take the conversation off social media where you can offer the customer more personalized solutions.
Not using analytics
Even though analyzing social media marketing isn’t easy or straightforward, you don’t want to ignore it. It’s important to know what brings you ROI, what posts get the most attention and who is noticing your content. Be aware that analytics can tell you concrete data like follower growth, but some things (like brand reputation and brand awareness) are more vague.
Not listening to your audience
If you’re on social media, you should have listening tools to help you understand what people are saying about your brand, your competitors and your industry. These conversations will help you recognize what problems your customers are facing and how your product or service can solve them.
Are there certain features your audience is looking for? Does your product fill gaps where other products are lacking? Most social media listening tools monitor all of the social networks as well as news sites, blogs and forums for keyword mentions. This info is then delivered to you in real time.
Having a social media presence improves SEO, boosts traffic to your website and establishes you as an authority in your field. It’s a channel that you don’t want to miss out on, but be sure you’re following the best practices and leaving bad habits behind.
