9 Biggest Blunders Businesses make on their Social Media
Melonie Mboh
Social media is a powerful tool when it comes to growing your business. But not all businesses know how to use it properly. Have a look at our handy guide and learn what some of the blunders businesses make on their social media platforms so you can avoid them. When it comes to social media, there are a few common mistakes businesses make. It’s important that you avoid these blunders so your business doesn’t suffer.
Your brand’s social media presence is the foundation of your business. You need to make sure that it’s strong, functional, and engaging. The following are some common mistakes businesses make on their social media pages:
#1 - Not using a strategy
The first mistake that businesses make when it comes to social media is not having a strategy. It’s important that you know what your goals are before you start posting on any of the major platforms. You need to know what type of content you want to post, how often you will post, and who your audience is. If you don’t have a strategy, then you will end up wasting a lot of time and money on social media. You also won’t be able to measure your success properly because you won’t know what goals you want to accomplish through the platform.
#2 - Buying followers
It might seem like a good idea at first to buy followers, but this is not the case. Buying fake followers will not help your business grow or develop a loyal following. If customers or potential clients see that you have purchased fake followers, they are likely to stay away from your business for good! This may seem like an extreme reaction, but it’s true. In fact, many people are turned off by companies that buy followers because it shows them that the company doesn't care about quality or taking care of its customers; it only cares about quantity and making money fast (which is not always possible).
#3 - Not optimizing
Optimizing is the process of tweaking your social media strategy in order to get more out of it. There are many different ways you can optimize your strategy, but one thing that will help is making sure that your content and posts are as effective as possible.
For example, videos on Facebook have a much higher reach than photos or GIFs do. So if you're running an ad for a product that's best suited for video (like a vacuum cleaner), then you should definitely post a video instead of just posting an image or text link.
Another example: Twitter users love images so much that they'll engage with them twice as much as they would with links or text-only posts! If you're selling something online (like shoes) then this could be a huge win because people like pictures when they buy things online!
#4 - Not listening to customers
Social media is a channel where customers can easily give you feedback, and it's important that you learn from that feedback.
How? The first step is to track what people are saying about your brand, products, services, and competitors. Use Google Alerts or Mention to monitor keywords online; this will help you stay on top of the conversation and identify areas for improvement.
Next, listen carefully to all comments on social media by paying attention to sentiment (positive or negative) as well as the volume of mentions—and make sure your team is doing so too! Finally, when someone says something positive about you or one of your competitors on social media—re-tweet it! This shows that you're listening and encourages others who see these positive posts to share them too.
#5 - Ignoring negative comments and feedback
You should be especially diligent about responding to negative comments and feedback on your business's social media channels. You can use the opportunity to improve your business, brand, customer service, digital marketing efforts, or overall social media presence by making sure you respond appropriately in a timely manner. It may seem counterintuitive to respond to negative comments—and often it is—but if handled correctly these interactions can be turned into opportunities for growth and improvement that will benefit you in the long run.
#6 - Old profile information
Your bio and profile posts are also important ways to interact with your audience. Your profile bio is the first thing someone sees when they visit your account, so it’s important to make sure it has all relevant information about you, like what you do, who you do it for, and where they can find out more.
Your bio tells people what you are about. You may have come across a company whose name doesn’t really tell its story (or brand). If a business is named after its owner or founder, then that person should be mentioned in the bio right away so people understand who they are talking to!
Use this space to give readers a preview of where their journey will lead them on your page: “Follow us on Instagram for our latest updates!” A good practice is linking back from each social media channel so users can find their way around if needed--but make sure those links don't take up too much space; otherwise, it'll look cluttered!
#7 - Choosing the wrong platform
One of the most important decisions you’ll make as a business is which social media platform to engage with. Not only will it determine what you do, but it will also have an impact on how people perceive your brand and whether or not they trust you. The platforms that align best with your goals, resources, target audience and brand image are the ones that are right for you.
Choosing the wrong platform can lead to wasted time and money—and in some cases, even damage your reputation.
#8 - Posting content that has nothing to do with your brand or is irrelevant to your brand’s audience
It can be tempting to post about anything and everything, but it's important to remember that social media is not a place for any old content. That’s because your audience will judge you based on what they see on your feed. And if they don't like what they see? They'll unfollow you, or worse, stop buying from you altogether.
So what kinds of things should you be posting? Content that's relevant and interesting to your brand's audience!
#9 - The wrong tone or voice for your social platform
When it comes to writing on social, you need to think about the audience in two ways:
- What is their attitude towards your brand?
- What is the tone of communication they're used to seeing from brands?
You can avoid mistakes in your social media presence
You can avoid making mistakes on social media by doing your research.
- What are the best practices to follow in this situation?
- What do my customers expect of me in this situation?
- How is my community responding to this issue, and how should I respond as well?
Conclusion
Social media is a tool that can be used to help your business grow. The most important step is understanding how it works and what steps you need to take before jumping in head-first. By avoiding the mistakes we’ve outlined above, you can make sure that your social media presence is successful!
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