Social media is a powerful marketing tool for companies when used correctly. It can be devastating to your brand if you do not take the time to fully understand it. This costs you prospective customers and goodwill. Most brands are unable to show the impact social media has made on their business. If you find yourself stuck in the same boat. It may be time for you to rethink and reshape your marketing strategy. It can be hard to create a positive profile of your business and make a good impression on potential customers. Not to mention advertising your products in an effective way. To ensure you utilizing social media correctly for optimal results, here are some most common mistakes companies make with social media.
ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL
Companies make the mistake of treating all social media platforms the same. They are not the same. With this mindset, you will not get anywhere. The first step is recognizing that they have their own algorithm, audiences, tools, and customs. Take the time to learn the network. Get familiar with the users and see how they are using the app. Most companies’ online presence seems generated. They’ll post the same message and content across all platforms. To avoid giving off a fake generated vibe, invest more time on the app and distribute content that will be more suitable given the nature of the app.
SOCIAL MEDIA BIO
The biggest mistake companies make is not making the most out of their social media bio. A bio is the most essential part of your social media profile. This is the perfect opportunity to promote yourself and boost your company’s reputation. It serves as an introduction and allows you to display your company’s area of expertise. A bio helps people associate your product or service with your brand. You want this type of recognition. Above all make sure your bio includes your location, slogan, specialties, and website. Have fun with this and be creative. Avoid anything that looks generated.
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
For some odd reason, companies fail to implement online guidelines for their employees. Social media policies are crucial for protecting your business’s overall reputation. A good policy is a physical layout of what is and is not appropriate online behavior for your employees. It also stresses that your employee should be a reflection of your organization’s values. By implementing a good policy, brands are better educating their staff to represent the label in a better light.
QUANTITY OVER QUALITY
Companies make the mistake of valuing the number of followers over the quality of followers as well as the content they post. Followers, fans, and likes do not guarantee sales. Think about it wouldn’t you prefer to have 5,000 engaged followers over 100,000 fans, assuming they are real. Who may never buy your product? It is more important to focus on the quality of following and content you are posting. Ensure your following is loyal, trustworthy customers. And, be proud of the content you are creating. Don’t just post things just to fill up your page. If it is not adding or benefiting your company then it’s unnecessary.
Another thing to keep in mind is over-posting, many businesses are guilty of this. Don’t be that business, avoid this at all cost. Overposting is detrimental to one’s business. It’s important to brand yourself and get your message across however too many posts will lead to unfollows and dislikes. Utilize the platform’s analytics tool and see what time or days your followers are most active. Post during these times and you will surely get the results you desire.
NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
Although you want to protect your brand’s reputation, transparency is the best way to go about it. You cannot build a company based on lies and deceitfulness. Most companies make the worst mistake ever by deleting and ignoring negative feedback. It’s better to just acknowledge the problem and do everything in your power to fix it. In the best-case scenario, you turn a disappointed customer into a loyal one by being professional and honest. And, believe it or not, this shows that your brand has excellent customer service skills. Which will incoherently gain your following. Customers will trust buying your products because they will trust you to solve the issue if a problem arose.
TONE OF VOICE
The keyword in social media is “social”. People want to connect and work with you. If your company sounds fake and generic people will avoid you. Ensure your company and service reps have a personal touch. Let it be natural, don’t force it. However, you should still give it some thought. You want to connect with people and build a relationship. You can’t expect to do so with a robotic approach. Determine your company’s tone of voice.
Feature image by Headway from UNSPLASH.COM
