Social media has become a vital part of our everyday lives. In fact, at the time of writing this article it was estimated that 3.6 billion people use social media worldwide, a number predicted to increase to almost 4.41 billion by 2025. Whether you like it or not, if you’re running a business, you need to get familiar with social media. Think about how many people you could reach… However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, and you need to be cautious to avoid these 5 common mistakes…
Stop Watching Your Followers List Like A Hawk
You’re probably thinking that the amount of followers you have is the most important part of social media, but you’d be wrong. Yep, followers are great, but trying to keep them is the hard part. You’ve got to nurture that relationship like you would with someone you cared about. They’ve given you their time by following, so now you’ve got to give your time back. Interaction is KEY at this point. Engage with them, answer their questions, respond to customer service queries, make them feel noticed and appreciated. Otherwise, you’ll just have bought yourself a one-way ticket to falling off their feed.
Why Did You Post That
To put it bluntly, the content you post can make or break your social media success. If your posts are constantly salesy, unrelatable or just an absolute snooze-fest, this is going to have a drastic effect. People will eventually start scrolling past your posts without a second thought and your chances of making it onto the newsfeed will go out the window. It could even lead to every social media user’s worst nightmare – and UNFOLLOW. I’m not trying to scare you off here, but I’m simply advising you to thoughtfully tailor your content to suit your followers. I’m sorry to say it, but it’s not all about you. Make sure you’re creating content that has some use to it, whether it’s informative, educational, entertaining or inspirational. Although you might be trying to promote your brand/business, your weekly content should only be 20% promotional. Leave the other 80% to have a bit of fun with your followers!
We All Need A Boost Sometimes
When I say a boost, I don’t mean one of those delicious chocolate bars with the caramel and biscuit filling coated in a…I’m going off-topic here. What I’m trying to say is, if you’re really serious about the social media game, you’ve got to reach into your pocket. You might be getting a few likes or comments here and there, but if you aren’t reaching far enough, people will stop seeing you. It’s vital that you advertise to ensure that your content makes it to the timelines of the right people. Paid ads can also be the nudge that gets new people onto your page for the first time. Once they’ve made it, your brilliant content and friendly welcome is sure to hook them in. This has really made me want a boost bar though…
What’s Going On In The World
You might not be itching to catch the 6 o’clock news every night, but your followers might be. It’s so important that you’re up to date with current events and know when it’s time to be silent or sensitive. If you’re unaware of what’s going on in the world, you could end up posting something at a particular time that makes your wording completely poor. You want to avoid getting your brand noticed for the wrong reasons and putting off your audience. Show them that as a brand you care about what’s going on and how you can be sensitive to the matter. For example, if there’s a very important event or movement happening, you could avoid being overly promotional that day and post something acknowledging what’s going on. Show that there’s a person behind the screen and not just a wallet.
DIY:
Or in this case…don’t! When you first start up your social media it might feel manageable and become your little baby. However, when babies start to grow, there are all these responsibilities, you’ve got to follow them around everywhere so they don’t swallow anything dangerous or play with any wires. What I’m trying to say is, at some point you’ve got to bring in the help! Hiring a social media manager or a team of marketers (I’ve heard Maverrik are really good at this stuff) will ensure your followers are in good hands. If you try to do it all yourself, you’ll either end up neglecting your socials or other aspects of your business. Whilst you’re out there growing your business, you’ll also be creating a journey for your social media followers to see. Otherwise, you won’t have much to talk about on there and your baby will just be crying all the time.
So there we have it, 5 common social media mistakes that you really don’t want to make. Social media isn’t a walk in the park, but when it’s done right, you’ll see the success it can bring to your business! Just try to avoid these hazards along the way…
