Common Social Media Mistakes to Avoid
Every business today, both large and small, uses social media as a marketing tool. However, there are specific ways to use the various social media platforms out there.
Are you utilizing your social media profiles to your advantage? Make sure you’re steering clear of these common social media mistakes.
Letting People Find Your Blog On Their Own
You put time and effort into devising a blog post – or maybe you paid good money to have a professional write it for you. Either way, it’s a waste if you just let it sit there, waiting to be discovered. Use your social media outlets to boost traffic to your blog. Put Facebook posts and Tweets out every time you have a new post up. You can also link to older blog posts that are still relevant.
Pretending that Negative Comments Don’t Exist
When you open the door for feedback from your client base via social media, it’s pretty much ensured that some of that feedback is going to be negative. Don’t simply delete a negative review and pretend it never existed. Part of customer service is dealing with unhappy consumers. Handle negativity in a professional, kind and accommodating matter, even if it is only on your Facebook page.
Skipping a Strategy
All too often, businesses start marketing via social media without a firm strategy in place. This is like starting a business without a business plan. You may start off strong, but sometime in the very near future you’re going to get overwhelmed. While it’s tempting to jump right in, do yourself a favor and devise a schedule first.
Spreading Yourself Too Thin
Sure, you can set up a free profile on every single social media website out there. Spreading yourself too thin isn’t a good tactic, though. Choose three social media platforms that best suit your company. Is your business image-driven? Make Tumblr or Pinterest one of the three. For the most part, make sure to include at least one or two of the social media dominators: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus and YouTube.
Using Social Media Websites the Wrong Way
Be smart about how you post and where you post it. Follow these rules of thumb:
• Facebook posts with photos get a lot of attention. For text-only posts, asking a question or writing a fill-in-the-blank are good tactics to get responses.
• Make Twitter hashtags work for you. This is the best way for people to find your posts even if they’re not connected to you yet.
• In the description field for each “pin” on Pinterest, use keywords so that users can find photos they’re searching for.
• Google Plus is relatively new. Try different tactics to see which works best for you.
About the Author – Rowena Kang is a writer and the Director of Content for the Morgan Law Firm. Please visit the Morgan Law Firm Blog for additional content.
