8 Social Media Marketing Mistakes to Avoid in 2015

Any effective digital marketing strategy involves an integral component that is social media. Startup or not, it is one of the best digital platforms for propelling businesses forward rapidly, provided that social media marketing is done right.

For newcomers to the digital marketing industry, making a good first impression on social media is extra critical as they only get one chance to make it right. Losing that chance means lagging behind competitors and repairing reputation which in of itself a not so easy chore.

Don’t fall to the social media trap! Be informed, know these top 8 common mistakes.

Mistake #1: Having no social media strategy whatsoever

Companies without a social media strategy can never deliver an effective message to their audience. To execute a successful social medial marketing plan, a strategy must be in place. Among these strategies include having a distinct social media voice, conceptualizing measurable goals, developing a policy for social media, and planning a social media calendar.

Posting blindly will get your brand nowhere. Set a clear social media strategy and you could be well on your way to having the best and most engaging content on the web.

Mistake #2: Creating accounts on too many platforms too soon

Many businesses create accounts on a number of social media channels at once despite their inability to post quality content to engage their followers and prospects. One moment they are using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest; the next thing you know, they’ve abandoned the platforms altogether. Any social media account with a couple of posts from months or years back only implores on your prospects that you are disorganized. They might even associate it to your products being not as good as (or worse than) your competitors’.

Keep the focus of your social media strategy narrow, then simply branch out from that point on when you are sure you can offer quality and relevant content for each channel regularly.

Remember: If you are going to jump in the bandwagon, be certain that you stay in to keep a consistent online presence.

Mistake #3: Paying for FAKE followers

While thousands, even millions, of followers, likes, and fans would help leverage a business’ prominence and validate its social proof, it won’t help with increased ROI nor will it improve user engagement if it’s spam or fake.

Recently, Instagram had deleted millions of accounts to prevent its users from paying to gain more followers. Overnight, many celebrities and prominent personalities and businesses had lost tons of followers.

The key here is to aim to build genuine consumer relationships rather than focusing on numbers.

Mistake #4: Talking too much about the brand and the brand alone.

Sharing the work of others is totally fine, especially if you know it will be useful to your followers. Reshare or re-tweet someone’s post. Let your audience know you’re willing to communicate and reach out, and they’ll be more than happy to participate in your activities and even share ideas of their own that can help elevate your brand.

Mistake #5: Using irrelevant and excessive hashtags

There is no doubt that the use of hashtags on social media platforms can immensely help businesses to become more visible. However, if you use them like crazy, you come across as annoying.

To combat this, limit your hashtag usage to a considerable and sensible number, and make sure they are relevant to what you are trying to convey on your post.

Mistake #6: Sharing too many in a short amount of time

Posting one content after the other within minutes or even hours is a good strategy... If you are aiming to shun or turn off your followers and prospects. So don’t do it! Just as with merely posting, sharing too much can equally ruin your shot at earning consumer trust and brand credibility.

As much as possible, strive to share posts consistently and regularly. Create a posting schedule and make use of online scheduling tools like Hootsuite and Buffer to space out your posts and avoid overwhelming and spamming your followers.

Mistake #7: Forgetting to Proofread

Ever noticed a tweet missing a punctuation or two? How about a Facebook post with several misspelled words? The world of social media is brimming of word crimes. And while it may seem to be petty mistakes, sloppy grammar and spelling can hurt your online presence and credibility baldly.

(P.S. Did you notice badly was spelled incorrectly on that sentence? If you didn’t, it might be time to hone your proofreading skills!)

Mistake #8: Neglecting the “social” aspect of social media

Social media is unique in a way that it allows brands to interact with their consumers in a personal manner. Folks on social media expect responsiveness from companies, and want to feel they are dealing with real people and not corporate robots. You do not necessarily have to reply to every comment, but responding to them builds trust and camaraderie between you and your consumers. It would also help if you can develop a voice that is light, interesting, and witty.

Let your brand’s personality shine through by responding to queries, addressing concerns, and involving your brand in forums or communities. Humanize your brand and in doing so, you can make your audience feel more connected to you.

Content published originally on Digital Marketing Philippines. Also see on Business 2 Community.