Social networking is too critical for any organisation to neglect. For companies of all sizes, social media has been the most commonly used marketing strategy. Regardless of your business, a significant portion of your consumers is likely to be involved in one or more social media sites. You will develop customer loyalty and grow your company if you can connect with them there.
However, if you’re going to use social media to promote your company, you must do so correctly. It’s no secret that having a solid social presence helps brands communicate with their consumers, but social networks aren’t as simple to use as they seem. Many company owners make critical errors when it comes to social media marketing. With benefits come drawbacks, and small companies often face social media pitfalls due to errors and omissions. With that in mind, here are five of the most popular social media blunders that businesses make.
Using too many Platforms
There are many social networking platforms to choose from, and you may be tempted to think that using all of them is the right strategy because you’ll be more likely to find your customers than if you just used one or two. In reality, the opposite is true. It’s crucial to keep in mind the social element of social media. If you’re going to use a website, you’ll need to be involved and post regularly. You can’t expect people to follow you if you don’t put in any effort, and an inactive account is worse than none at all.
Posting Content That Is Contentious, Personal, or Insensitive
Unless your company is specifically religious or political, it’s best to stay away from these sometimes-controversial subjects. Keep it to yourself if you’re very excited about a candidate in an upcoming election. A large portion of your audience isn’t, so keep it to yourself. Avoid taking a divisive stance unless your target group is nearly unanimous on a specific social issue or the issue is directly connected to your brand. Some companies go overboard with personal material, and if you can’t think of one, you may be one of them. While work culture has undoubtedly changed as Millennials have entered the workforce (visible tattoos, casual attire, funky workspaces, and unusual perks), there are still good social content guidelines. Some personal posts are simply inappropriate.
Customers/Followers Aren’t Engaged
A popular social media marketing KPI is increased interaction. On the other hand, many brands do not respond to user comments on their feed, giving the impression that they are uninterested in fostering conversation with their audience.
If anyone comments on your message, make sure your social media team reacts as soon as possible. Customers may want to communicate with you more if you answer (like or comment back).
Each comment on your company page is an opportunity to boost engagement and encourage more people to participate. When you participate actively, you should expect to gain more followers and have a higher interaction rate.
Failure to Interact with the Audience
Social media’s goal is to involve people in conversation, but far too many companies make the mistake of just sharing promotional material. Social accounts are often mistaken as sales tools, and they are often judged based on how many people they refer to your website. Still, they can also be successful customer support channels that help you create brand loyalty and resolve customer service problems before becoming a liability.
When your team encounters brand criticism, it’s important to react quickly. Ignoring complaints sends the message to your followers that you don’t care about them enough to respond, or, even worse, that the complaint is genuine and normal. Since comments on your social media accounts are public, anyone who follows you can read the thread and see how you react to issues.
Companies will learn a lot from their followers by asking questions, starting polls, and welcoming input, aside from negative comments. Isn’t it a good idea to poll your followers before releasing a new colour or product? Perhaps you’re developing a software tool and want to know all of the features that your customers need. As a phone, social media is much more helpful than a megaphone.
Unprofessionally Reacting to Criticism
Just responding inappropriately to negative social media comments is worse than not responding at all. To transform a negative brand experience into a constructive one and maintain your image, you must adequately handle public criticism.
A single rude response to a legitimate complaint would be amplified by your number of followers and could even make it into the national news as part of a “social media fails” post. Bickering, removing comments, and banning users can quickly escalate an already heated situation. Be professional, empathetic, and try to understand what triggered the case while dealing with criticism. Consumers typically use social media as a last resort to vent their frustrations at a company and alert other customers to a problem when they believe their issue has not been resolved. Providing a simple way for customers to express their dissatisfaction on your website can deter them from airing their bad comments on your social media accounts for all to see.
Acting without a strategy
Getting on the social media bandwagon is not easy, and if not done correctly, it can be a waste of time and money. Followers lose interest when you post to accounts infrequently, share random content once in a blue moon, and take shortcuts like mechanically sharing the same content throughout all platforms.
You can’t expect a successful Tweet to have the same impact on LinkedIn. To determine measurable targets, budgets, and a plan of action, each platform must have its own social media strategy. A strategy sets out what you want to achieve, how you’ll get there, how you’ll chart your success, and how much money you’ll need to put into your efforts. Execution without careful preparation will jeopardize the company’s and social media presence’s performance. All actions should be deliberate, with a common goal in mind and a well-structured communication and measurement strategy. Taking the time to strategize yields better results by establishing a solid basis on which your social media presence can develop. Does this sound a bit out of your element? Enable a team of experts to handle it.