5 Costly Social Media Marketing Mistakes You Should Never Commit

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If you own a business, you probably have heard of the term “social media marketing” multiple times already. For those who are not that clear as to what this is, it is actually the process of attracting the attention of consumers and getting traffic to a website through the use of social media networking websites. Examples of such sites include Facebook, which is currently the leading platform; as well as Twitter, LinkedIn, Google +, and Pinterest.

When proper social media strategy is implemented, you can expect numerous good things, such as greater brand recognition, improved brand loyalty, and higher conversion rates. However, in order for you to enjoy these benefits, you need to know what the correct social media management strategies are for your marketing efforts.

If there are things that you need to do in order to benefit from social media marketing, you should understand that there are also quite a number of mistakes that you should avoid. Below are five of them.

social media marketing photo
Photo by Jason A. Howie cc

 

Either Underestimating or Overestimating Social Media Marketing

Moderation is one of the most important things you need to remember when it comes to marketing using social media. You do not want to spend too little time on your marketing campaigns, as this is going to make you appear inactive, which results in consumers having a poor impression of you and your business.

On the other hand, spending too much of your time and resources on your social media strategies is also a bad idea. Bombarding your followers with a dozen updates on a daily basis can be annoying, so do not think that doing so is a lot better than just three to four updates.

Again, the key here is to do it in moderation: show just the right amount of activity and consistency.

Disregarding the Value and Importance of Content Marketing

The fuel of all social media marketing efforts is content marketing.  You want to display your expertise in a particular niche, and coming up with good blogs is one of the most effective ways to do it. Aside from relevant and interesting blog article, great content can also be in the form of infographics, eBooks, whitepapers, and news pieces.

Capitalizing on Inappropriate Platforms

With Facebook having nearly 1.5 billion active users, it is only logical that it is your first choice. However, this does not mean that your entire social media strategy should revolve around this Facebook marketing. There are plenty of other social media networking sites that you should capitalize on, depending on your target niche or market.

What you need to understand is that the most critical decision you have to make in terms of marketing campaigns is having a defined target. When you implement targeted marketing strategies, it means that they are exclusionary. In other words, a clearly defined audience is in order.

Once you are done with this, the next step is to determine which social media platforms your audience makes use the most. Just think about it: nobody looks for job openings in Facebook, nor does anyone use LinkedIn to look up consumer product or service reviews.

To further help you determine which platform works best for which, take a look at the list below.

Facebook

Facebook for social media marketing campaigns is most appropriate if your business:

  • Makes use of highly visual content.
  • Wants to take advantage of community influence.
  • Prefers to establish trust in users by capitalizing on their follower’s networks.
  • Has budget set aside for paid Facebook ads.

Twitter

Use this platform if your goals include the following:

  • Relay your business’ messages.
  • Be active in conversations.
  • Establish a position for your business.

LinkedIn

If you wish to utilize LinkedIn, make sure that your business is a:

  • B2B company
  • Has the right qualities that make it interesting to other professional thought leaders.

Google+

This Google service is a good platform for the following activities:

  • SEO campaigns.
  • Connect with other individuals and parties that have the same interests.

Pinterest

This platform is best used if your goals include the following:

  • Reach a female target audience.
  • Share highly visual content.

While the above mentioned tips are just basic guidelines, it is highly advisable that you use them before you make any investment in these platforms.

Using the Same Content for All Platforms

The content that you are going to use on Facebook should be different from what you are going to use on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google +, or Pinterest. Always keep in mind that these platforms have varying needs, so you should not use the same on all platforms. They need different tones and methods of messaging. You should also take note of the time you upload your content – timing is key to getting your message across, to the greatest number of immediate users.

Not Adapting to Your Target Market

Just like in real life, the content, the tone, and the way that you construct your content should also take into consideration the specific market you are aiming or. After all, you are not going to speak to a college-level person in a language you use for children, are you? So if your target audience is comprised of corporate leaders, inject professionalism. If your target audience is comprised of young individuals, add a bit of humor or quirkiness to it.

In other words, you need to make sure that the overall message and tone of the content is appropriate to your target audience, without compromising your own corporate culture.

Final Thoughts

All in all, you should always remember that social media marketing requires serious effort, time, and commitment. Do not think that just because it is only a part of your marketing campaign that you should not exert energy on constructing quality content. Avoid schedule automation; do not forget to proofread the content. Before launching any social media strategy, you should already have a well-developed plan.

As long as you know the correct balance when it comes to self-promotion, brand empowerment, interesting content, correct timing, and number of updates, you have greater chances of getting the best results with your campaigns.

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