Let's do a little bit of math...
As of January 2022, Data Reportal estimates there are $4.62 billion social media users around the globe.
And based on current figures, that's equivalent to about 58.4% of the world population!
And over 9 out of 10 internet users are now using social media each month.
And these numbers are only going to continue to grow in the next few years.
No wonder social media is the most popular online activity.
That's why businesses are using Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and more... to promote their products and services.
They use engaging posts, photos, tweets, pins, and more... to be relevant to their target audience.
But this social media space is getting a little crowded.
Consumers are bombarded with an avalanche of content that can be overwhelming.
Yet, no matter how crowded the market gets... businesses hope to get their brand in front of as many eyes as possible.
In their quest to stand out on these social media platforms... businesses often make social media mistakes.
You may not know it but you may also be making mistakes.
And those can hurt your business.
As such, I want to share with you a few social media marketing mistakes you might be making.
Mistake #1: Not Having a Social Media Marketing Strategy
You can never deliver effective messages to your target audience if you don't have a strategy.
Think about this:
You decided to sign up on a social network.
You created a profile, posted information, and then disappeared.
Your followers start to wonder what happened to you.
While others are waiting for answers to their questions... for weeks!
Yet there's no response.
Suddenly your page has become a desolate wasteland.
Then after some months, you reappeared only to disappear again.
This lack of consistency might be happening because of the lack of a well-thought-out social media strategy.
And since social media often influences people's purchasing decisions... this gives your competitors the edge.
Therefore, you should revisit your social media and carefully map out your strategy.
Next mistake...
Mistake #2: Not Knowing Your Target Audience
Not knowing your audience is like shooting aimlessly... without hitting your target.
So it is vital that you define your target market.
Because the people on social media may not be the right fit for your brand.
So you need to know who you are targeting.
Who are they? Where are they? What do they want?
Learn about your intended audience.
Doing so will direct your social media marketing efforts to the right people... who would be more interested in your brand.
If you don't know your audience, despite how hard you work, you will not receive good results.
Thirdly...
Mistake #3: Having No Plan
It's interesting to note that social media marketing plans and strategies have a lot in common.
Yet they are 2 different things although they work hand in hand.
To put it simply, a social media strategy is the direction you're heading.
While a social media plan is how you’re going to get there.
Social media plan outlines your goals on social media and how it will support your overall marketing strategy.
So having said that, let me quote this...
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” - Benjamin Franklin
This is true with social media marketing.
Though it is clear that creating a social media marketing plan is essential... some businesses neglect it.
A lot of companies post things on social media without any real plan or strategy behind it.
They even have multiple social media accounts.
But those platforms are useless without a plan.
As with any marketing effort, you should take social media marketing seriously.
You have to make a list of specific goals you wish to achieve.
Of course, content calendar creation should be part of your plan.
You should also identify the people responsible for the execution.
Then create a budget (if needed) and an action plan you can easily follow.
Your social media plan should clearly outline the outcomes you intend to achieve.
And how your tactics fit into your overall social media strategy.
So make sure you have a social media marketing plan in place.
Now, let's talk about...
Mistake #4: Not Choosing the Right Voice
It's important that you have your own voice as a brand.
Your social media voice should be unique.
Depending on your industry, you can choose to make it professional, humorous, casual, etc.
But be careful... choosing the wrong voice would drive away followers.
Choose your brand's voice wisely.
Stephanie Schwab of Social Media Explorer, suggests a formula for this...
In the image below, voice is broken down into different categories such as tone, character, language, and purpose.
These four areas form the foundation for your brand's overall voice.
It is a useful exercise to go through the 4 categories to gain insights.
And apply to your social media.
Don't skip the next point...
Mistake #5: Not Using Multiple Forms of Content
To make your content-marketing pieces rank high, you should include texts, images, and videos.
What you need to know...
- Facebook users watch over 100 million hours of video every single day.
- People are also fond of infographics. Because 41.5% of marketers get more engagement with it than any other form of content.
But why is graphic content consumed at such a high rate?
Because it is easier to digest graphical content than just reading text.
So instead of using plain text, you should try using images and videos to deliver your content.
This one's an absolute no-no...
Mistake #6: Posting Only to Get Likes
It is one of the most common mistakes to post content purely for the purpose of receiving likes.
Your brand's goal should be to create a loyal following for your products and services.
Posting and sharing irrelevant content will not yield you any good results.
And sure, it can get you like, but it won't help your brand achieve its goal of making sales.
You may get followers but they are unlikely to engage with your content in the long term.
And you may eventually lose them.
You have to give this one some serious thought...
Mistake #7: Not Too Creative With Content
In order to attract followers, keep your followers interested.
You need to come up with fresh, engaging, intriguing social media content ideas.
The popular fastfood chain Burger King is known for more than its delicious hamburgers.
It has an impressive social media presence as well.
Take a look at their Twitter post that gained too much noise...
Burger King's Twitter is an example worth taking note of.
Who would have thought they would mention a competitor?
Admit it, it's effective because it created a buzz on Twitter.
Witty tweets like this need to be retweeted.
Burger King's content should be an inspiration for brands... that want to grow on Twitter and other social media platforms.
So you need to come up with a good content marketing strategy.
I need to follow up on this with...
Mistake #8: Posting Too Much Too Soon
Too many posts overwhelm your audience.
And they may stop paying attention to your business.
It is generally recommended to post no more than twice a day in Facebook.
In Hubspot's study, pages with fewer than 10,000 followers saw engagement drop by 50%... if they post to Facebook more than once a day.
So don’t get overly excited.
Quality is more important than quantity.
Also, it is always advisable to use a social media management tool and scheduler.
The popular ones are Buffer and Hootsuite.
You can link your favorite social media platforms with these tools.
Not to forget... use a social media calendar. It can make posting easy peasy.
Going to the next point...
Mistake #9: Unresponsive to Comments
Postings on social media are bound to spark reactions and comments.
Don't ignore the comments section!
Make sure you interact with the users.
Doing so will encourage them to interact with your future posts.
And participating in discussions will boost the value of your online visibility.
So it's vital to be there.
And, you should pay attention to the kind of responses you provide.
Don't use canned responses too much.
Replying to comments and posts should be natural.
It should have a personal touch.
Rather than using templated marketing messages, address the audience and respond directly.
Show your authentic self and inspire the audience.
Also, at some point, you might receive negative feedback and responses.
But just maintain your cool.
You should still be polite and friendly to people when they express concerns.
Keeping the conversation positive will keep it from turning hot which could hurt your reputation.
You can take advantage of every negative or positive comment.
And you never know... you might even be interacting with a potential customer. Right?
On to Mistake #10...
Mistake #10: Not Using Hashtags
Most people are familiar with hashtag #.
But they rarely understand how, when, and why it should be used.
You can use hashtags to identify your content and link your posts with specific topics.
Those searching for relevant hashtags or filtering conversations about a topic can find you.
And you can reach your target audience with it.
Some tips for adding hashtags:
Choose hashtags that are specific to your brand.
- The use of generic hashtags like #cosmetics will not get you the reach you want. So be specific. Use #lipstick or #blusher instead.
- Take advantage of trending topics and be seen by thousands of people using hashtags.
- Use hashtags with caution. It's best to avoid sensitive topics that could lead people to question your brand.
- Keep hashtags short and easy to remember.
- When creating a new hashtag, be sure it's unique and memorable. When people think of your brand, it should always be something they can remember.
Hashtags can be an effective way to gain attention on social media.
You can use hashtags to increase your visibility. Plus, promote your brand more effectively. Learn the most popular Instagram hashtags for 2024!
Hang on, we're on our last point now...
Mistake #11: Keeping No Track of Analytics
Right off the bat let's get one thing clear...
We can't use social media marketing for business if we don't have actionable insights and data.
Behind all your social media activities lies a lot of valuable information.
Simply put, you should track your social media analytics.
Not measuring that info is a common marketing blunder.
And it can keep you from achieving social media success.
So be mindful of your analytics.
Analytics can be beneficial to your social media marketing in so many ways:
- To understand your audience and create content that better suits them.
- To learn and pick the best social networks for you.
- To know your competition.
- Develop a more effective marketing plan.
How do you effectively track your social media analytics?
- Google Analytics is a great tool to track shares and analyze the traffic that comes to your site.
- To extract the best information from your analytics software...identify your social KPIs, audience demographics, and engagement factors.
- Be sure to observe engagement, conversions, and patterns in customer purchasing decisions.
Your brand can establish relationships with customers by utilizing such useful pieces of information.
That's all for today...
I know, everyone makes mistakes. But you should learn from them and do not repeat them.
Always take note of these...
11 Social Media Mistakes That Hurt Your Brand
Learn and make sure that your social media efforts will not go to waste.
And just one more thing...
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So the next step is...
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