If you want to succeed in today’s marketplace, your marketing strategy must incorporate social media. Social media marketing is closely related to and generally associated with content marketing. How can you be sure to get the most out of your social media marketing? Well, today we shall discuss seven of the most egregious errors you can make in social media marketing.
(Note: The first rule is actually, “Do not avoid social media.” However, we feel that our Clients are savvy enough to understand that already. Also, this is not an all-inclusive list.)
1. Don’t Treat All Platforms the Same.
So, you have profiles on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. It might be tempting to post the same content to all four, but you should never do so. Each platform addresses different needs for different audiences, so you should tailor your message for each.
2. Don’t Use Your Profile Solely to Pitch Your Products.
This is where social media marketing intersects with content marketing. Content marketing is all about adding value to your Consumers’ lives. However, you will not be able to add any value if your brand’s profile consists of sales pitch after sales pitch. Such tedious content will drive alway even your biggest fans.
3. Don’t Ignore Comments.
Social media marketing is all about engagement: sparking engagement, increasing engagement, converting engagement into sales. Refusing to engage with your followers (by ignoring their comments, for one example) is perhaps the biggest marketing sin you could commit. You will come across as indifferent to your Consumers. Your followers are reaching out to you; show them that you value their presence.
4. Don’t Forget to Double Check Before You Post.
If you know a writer, you might have heard the phrase, “your first draft is never your final draft.” This is excellent advice for anyone: accept that you will need to improve your work in some way before it is finalized. Now, while this is most frequently used to catch grammatical errors or misspellings before a post goes public, this last look is more than just proofreading. Go over the content of your post, take another look at the image. You don’t want to be one of the unfortunate brands who will forever live in internet infamy thanks to an unintentionally inappropriate visual or problematic phrasing.
5. Don’t Neglect to Set a Company Policy for Content.
This could be as simple as “don’t feed the trolls.” On the other hand, you could also develop a detailed policy that attempts to address every possible potential issue or controversy that could arise. At the very least, you should establish which subjects are acceptable and which subjects are forbidden. This is highly subjective, of course. For example, a brand specializing in organic supplements might be fine with posting articles that are critical of certain government agencies. A florist shop specializing in weddings, though, would never allow their content to veer into environmental politics but would be fine with posting articles about marriage equality because of their expanding customer base.
6. Don’t Lash Out at Critics.
No one likes to receive a bad review. Unfortunately, these things happen. When you get a negative review on your product or service, handle it gracefully. Reviews that are abusive are especially hard to ignore, but you must. You can apologize, you can explain, you can offer a refund–whatever you do, do not sink to their level. Be the bigger person: respond to the review calmly and professionally. Companies that appear to argue with their own Consumers rarely look good.
7. Don’t Post Fake Reviews.
Speaking of bad PR, it is never a good idea to post a fake review. It will be discovered, and you will be shamed for your deception. Even reviews from friends or family are suspect. Lying will always result in bad press.
There are more social marketing taboos, but these seven are the most prominent. Every brand is susceptible to such missteps, whether established or new. An easy way to avoid them is simply to have a professional team help you with your marketing strategy and management.
From marketing strategy to website design, our solutions give our Clients an advantage over their competitors. Contact our Sales Managers at 855-209-0225 (US Clients: Press 2 for Sales) to find out more information and pricing on our services. While you’re on the line, ask our representative how you can save $7-$10K in the process.
All my best,
Stefani Thionnet
Stay focused and never give up!
