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5 common social media marketing mistakes you should avoid
Everyone makes mistakes, and social media is not an exception either. To help you prevent these I’ve collected the 5 most common mistakes that brands do online – so you can avoid them.
1) You're trying to be on all social media networks
You jump into every new social media platform instantly? You feel lost and overwhelmed? Maybe you should consider first which networks you really need…
If you are a solopreneur or a small business owner with twenty other tasks, you should be conscious of how you use your time. Here comes one of my top tips: “Do it properly or don’t do it at all”
Being on every network with a questionable presence will not help you at all. As you can see I’m only active on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest, plus I post my blog content consistently on my LinkedIn profile.
Choose 2-3 (maximum 5) social media platform, that best fits your biz. Learn as much as you can about these few and rule them with your content 😉
2) Posting updates randomly
I can’t say often enough: Consistency is key.
Almost everyone is guilty of one of these: Posting every day, when you have the time and inspiration, then disappear for a week or more. Or posting day by day – which means you sitting in front of your phone daily, trying to figure out what the heck you should put out there. Both is frustrating for you and can result in potential followers turn away from you.
Have a social media calendar and use it properly. It will help you stay consistent while save time for you in the long run.
3) You're only interested in quantity
This is especially true for Instagram. All you’re care of is the number of followers you have, so you jump into every follow loop possible – no matter it has anything to do with your audience – or you even bought likes? While I understand it is really demotivating when you grow extremely slowly, but you should never forget why you are on social media.
If your only reason is to get followers, then keep going, you’re fine. But if you’re about to build an engaged community, then you should reconsider this strategy for the long term. People who follow you for no reason are probably won’t subscribe to your newsletter or buy your products later.
Instead, post high quality, valuable content and engage (post, like, DM) with users who match with your target audience.
4) Not knowing your audience
The previous tip drives us exactly here. Your audience is the people you are trying to serve with your services and products. It seems obvious that you should know them, but I still see examples of businesses who are obviously has no idea whom they try to reach.
Spend a few hours to define your audience – trust me it totally worth the time. The best way is to create buyer personas, which is an effective and fun way to do so.
5) Using the same messaging for every social media network
Seems easy right? Create a branded image and one message, then post it everywhere. Well, please, don’t!
It’s like having an outfit you like and wear it everywhere. While your favourite little black dress is perfect for a workplace event it might be strange to wear it for camping or as a pyjama… Social media is kind of the same.
Every platform has its’ own style and requirements. I’m talking about image sizes, caption length and even more. You should be aware of vocabulary and the demography of the different networks. Pinterest users for example are mostly women, while LinkedIn is slightly dominated by men. Furthermore, the age of users also differs on social media – just think of LinkedIn vs. Snapchat.
Instead of posting the same everywhere tailor your messaging and utilize the advantages of each network. Like: use the generous character limit of Instagram and add clickable link to your Facebook post.
