8 Mistakes You’re Making With Your Business’ Social Media Strategy

In 2016, social is everywhere. If your business isn’t active on social media, then you’re missing the opportunity to reach a large chunk of your target audience and to advertise your business. You may even be losing business to your competitors who are on social media. Many businesses understand the importance of being active on social media in 2016 and may even be employing a professional internet marketing company for help, but so few businesses have a solid social media strategy. Have you noticed a lack of growth, engagements, or sales/conversions coming through your social platforms? There could be a reason for that. Here are 8 mistakes you’re making with your business’ social media strategy.

1.  You’re using too many social networks. There’s a plethora of social platforms available for you to use. However, that doesn’t mean you should be on ALL of them. Facebook and Twitter are the most popular and versatile. LinkedIn can be great for the medical industry. However, It would be kind of weird to see most medical offices active on SnapChat. In contrast, SnapChat is perfect for the fashion industry, but LinkedIn can be rather limiting. Some social networks work better for certain industries than others. Rather than using ALL social networks, focus on which ones are the best for your industry and where most of your audience will be. It’s better to focus on building 2 or 3 really great, strong social profiles then having 5 or more profiles that are just “okay”. Always remember, quality over quantity.

 

2.  You’re posting too much. Sure, it’s important to post on a regular basis, but that doesn’t mean you need to over-do it. Posting once a day is more than enough. You could even get by with posting just 3-5 times a week. Posting 5 or more times a day, however, is not recommended. When you post too often you may come off as being annoying or spammy and you could end up losing followers and engagements.

 

3.  You’re not posting enough. While you need to be careful of posting too often on social media, you still need to make sure you’re posting enough. How can you expect your content to be seen and remembered if you never post? Rather than having to remember to post regularly, create a series of 10 or more posts at once and then use a scheduling program like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, or even simply Facebook scheduling to schedule the posts to be posted throughout the month. This will help you to easily post on a regular basis without overdoing it.

 

4.  You’re not actually socializing. Anyone can talk on social media, that’s easy. However, many businesses struggle to actually socialize with their audience. They talk at their audience, rather than to them or with them. Don’t make this mistake. Instead of posting promotional content intended to sell products 24/7, break your posts down and be sure to ask questions and post non-promotional content, too. You’ll also want to engage directly with your audience. Answer their comments and messages and ask them some questions of your own. Social media should be seen as a conversation between your business and your customers or followers. Remember, it takes two to have a conversation.

 

5.  You’re not using paid advertising. Sure, most social networks are technically free, but if you really want to reach your target audience and be seen, you’ll want to invest in paid advertising. Paid advertising will allow you to gain more followers, website clicks/conversions, and/or engagements at a more rapid pace. It will allow your business to stand out from the crowd and ensure you gain more visibility. Don’t think of it so much as an extra cost, but rather, an investment that will help you to not only grow your social media presence, but your business as a whole.

 

6.  You’re afraid of change. One of the best things about social media is that it is constantly changing and offering new features. Your business shouldn’t be afraid of change, but rather, your business should be embracing it. This is especially true when it comes to paid advertising. An ad for Likes or Website Clicks may be some of the most common forms of ads, but why not experiment with a lesser known ad and measure the results? Maybe your business is hosting a big fundraising event in which case an ad for increased event attendance or ticket sales may be ideal. Or maybe you’ve recently uploaded an incredible video onto YouTube that you’d like to promote by creating a shorter version for Instagram. Don’t be afraid to get creative and try new things with your social media marketing. That small change may end up making all of the difference in the world.


7. You’re not using enough visuals. Did you know that approximately 90% of all information transmitted to the brain is visual? This means that if your business isn’t taking advantage of visuals in its social media marketing strategy, it’s greatly missing out. Make sure your social posts have a fair amount of images and videos. They are more engaging and attention-grabbing and a great way to get your message across to your followers. The more visuals you use, the better.

 

8. You’re not using hashtags correctly. Does your business use hashtags? If so, are you using them correctly? On some platforms including Twitter and Instagram, hashtags are essential. They can help your business to gain more visibility, especially if the hashtag in use is currently trending. Trending hashtags can also help you to come up with new ideas for what to post about. Twitter and Instagam aren’t the only platforms that use hashtags. You can also experiment with using hashtags on Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest. However, don’t even think about using hashtags on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a highly professional social platform and using hashtags will give off the wrong kind of vibe about your business. Plus, they have absolutely no effect on LinkedIn. A well-researched, trending and relevant hashtag can help your business gain much visibility and attention when used properly. Always use your best judgement and don’t be afraid to do some research before using hashtags on social media.

 

How many of these mistakes are you guilty of making when it comes to advertising your business on social media? Once you correct these mistakes, you’ll be well on your way to growing your business and your social media presence on any social media platform of your choice!