Top Social Media Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
Photo by @benkolde
As a small business owner, there are several different marketing methods you may use to promote your business. With the proliferation of technology and social media, the means of marketing have changed and digital marketing has become essential for any business. One of the most popular forms of digital marketing today is Social Media Marketing (SMM). Applying SMM to your business the right way can take your business to the next level but if executed without an effective strategy it can greatly impact your business. In this blog, we will dive deeper into the mistakes that people often make in SMM that restrains them from achieving success, as well as the steps required to use social media marketing successfully.
There are several factors to consider when implementing social media marketing for your business. Some of the most common mistakes to avoid include:
Not having a suitable strategy: Implementing social media marketing without a strategy is like going to war without a plan. You cannot win a war without a strategy in place. The same goes for marketing, if you don't have an effective strategy drawn out, your business will likely fall in the beginning. Having a strategic marketing strategy helps you to determine your social media goals so you can achieve success! Important factors to consider in your social media marketing strategy include identifying your target audience, selecting the right social media platforms to utilize, planning the appropriate days and times to post as well as much more.
Targeting the wrong audience: One of the essential factors to consider when executing SMM is to know your target audience. Your audience merely depends on the things you sell and to whom you want to sell. When determining your social audience you want to identify who your existing demographics are and where they are most apparent on social media. Every social network differs and has a different popular demographic. In fact, a recent study by themanifest.com found that more than 80% of every generation uses social media at least once per day making social media part of their daily routine. You’ll want to research both your audience and the appropriate networks to use in the beginning stages.
Incorrect tone of voice: When writing content for your business’ social media accounts, you must be intentional with the tone of voice you choose. Your tone of voice should reflect your brand's personality evoking uniqueness, style and professionalism.
Using hashtags incorrectly: Hashtags are an essential tool to use on social media to enhance your engagement, build brand awareness, target the right audiences and more! When applying hashtags, you want to ensure you are using targeted hashtags that are relevant, effective and popular. Using irrelevant hashtags for your content should be avoided as it can lead to unfavourable results and attract the wrong audiences. Before using hashtags, research the best hashtags to use in your niche. You’ll want to use a combination of both popular and medium-sized hashtags that relate to your industry as well as research location based hashtags. You can also research hashtags used by some of your competitors for inspiration.
Avoiding negativity in the comments: Negative feedback is a part of life, and no brand can avoid that. Taking considerable action and responding to any negativity that comes, helps to portray your brand as a reliable, honest and transparent brand that keeps your customers at the forefront. It also demonstrates your brand’s character and your ability to accept mistakes when necessary. Although facing negativity can be a challenge, some ways that you can respond to negativity appropriately is by listening carefully to your customers' concerns, finding an effective solution to resolve the issue, remaining patient and professional and humbling yourself to others.
Overall, it is important to avoid these mistakes when implementing SMM for your business as they can actually harness your brand than provide positive results. Some of the factors you’ll want to consider in your business’ social media marketing is creating an effective strategy, targeting the right audience, using the correct tone of voice, using hashtags appropriately, and avoiding negativity in the comments. When implementing effective strategies it can lead to so many benefits including increased social media traffic and awareness, higher SEO, improved brand trust, and so much more. There are really no reasons not to implement social media into your marketing strategy.
By Mariia Minaieva
