It’s no secret that social media platforms are an exceptional way of promoting brand awareness. Yet, the strategies for executing the same have evolved significantly over the years, much like the social platforms themselves. Nowadays, it’s no longer valid to simply create a profile page, but rather constant interaction is required. Not sure how it’s done? Well then, take a look at this list of five common mistakes brands make on social media, so you don’t have to.
1. Not diversifying your content enough
Sharing only product-centric posts on social media will make your brand appear too pushy. Sure, such strategies might yield some initial results, but in the end, nobody wants an annoying car-salesman constantly popping up on their feed. What social media users really want is a variety of engaging content that will either educate or entertain them. So, don’t hesitate to spice things up with a funny video (or two) in-between the branded content to retain your followers’ attention. Also, be ready to follow-up your posts with pictures, especially infographics, as according to Jeff Bullas’s article posts with images get 94% more views.
2. Not having a consistent voice on all platforms
Oftentimes companies make the mistake of not humanizing their brand enough through the use of their own voice. They go on to create social media profiles with absolutely zero character, just for the sake of advertisement. Instead, what you should be doing is personalizing your brand in such a way that it reflects your company’s ideals and ethics. For example, Old Spice is known for its incredibly wacky commercials. Hence, you’d expect to find a similarly humorous tone on their Facebook profile. On the other hand, a more reserved and professional brand would find such a style inappropriate for their type of audience. Find out what works best for your brand and stick to it.
3. Not including SM monitoring into your marketing strategy
Sir Francis Bacon was absolutely right when he said the phrase “knowledge is power”. Knowing who your customers are and understanding their needs is essential to creating an effective social media marketing strategy. The best social media campaigns that brands launch are the ones which are specifically tailored for their target audiences. This is where social media monitoring comes in handy as it helps you gather valuable information and determine: what content is engaging your audience the most; how often we ought to post; which channels have the most reach, and so on. Another mistake you can make is not considering where your audience comes from – for example, if most of your audience is from Singapore, focus your media monitoring efforts towards Singapore.
4. Not sharing other people’s content
Social media is not a trophy case used to put your brand on display, but a place where you can freely interact and engage with your loyal followers. If your profile page is all about you, it will lose that human touch and people won’t take you as a friendly brand but more as the run-of-the-mill corporation. In essence, social media is a two-way conversation, so make sure that the other person gets a chance to talk as well. Don’t be afraid to mention other people and share their awesome content. After all, the foundation of a strong relationship is the ability to give and not just take away.
5. Not responding to negative comments
Negative and hateful comments are like an open wound, and if you don’t treat them accordingly, they will fester and turn into something fouler. Therefore, instead of ignoring them, you should respond as soon as possible. Also, be careful not to get dragged into the mud by trying to defend yourself, as such attempts usually end up ruining your brand’s reputation. Instead, simply respond in a calm and professional manner by stating that you appreciate their feedback. Lastly, almost never delete negative comments, except for extreme cases, since it will appear as if you had something else to hide.
At the end of the day, failure is an essential part of learning. Be mindful of the mistakes others make, learn from them, avoid them, and get one step closer to achieving your goals.
