Social media is a modern-day reality. It's how huge swaths of the population keep in touch with each other, it's how we share news in our lives, and for many people it's a window to the wider world. For companies looking to get their name and products in front of huge audiences, social media marketing is the answer. All it takes is the viral success of one campaign, and that company's visibility will skyrocket. Even without viral success, social media is the new word-of-mouth marketing.
In reality, though, social media marketing is more like playing roulette. It's possible for the fickle finger of fate to declare you the new king of the Internet, but luck isn't a viable business strategy. And venturing into the social media waters without a plan is not a viable marketing strategy. Instead, companies should focus on developing a strategy, providing value to their followers, investing in the long-term strategy of their marketing campaigns, and avoiding these mistakes.
Pitfall #1: Spamming Your Content
You know how when you're watching television, and one commercial keeps coming on every, single break? You change the channel, and there it is again, shouting its message at you? Sometimes you swear the commercial is running back-to-back with itself, and it gets to the point you get up and leave the room during commercial breaks. This is the same reaction you'll cause in your followers (or, really, anyone who sees your content) if you just repeat the same posts ad nauseum. Change it up, and make sure you're always providing something new and fresh. Use the 80-20 rule and only post those “selling” posts 20% of the time.
Pitfall #2: Paying For Shortcuts
You're standing in line outside the big social media club, when a guy in a black tee-shirt tells you, for a fee, he can get you into the VIP room. So you pay the fee, and he escorts you in. You have just enough time to take a look at all the high-rollers, before you're hustled back out again. Now you're sitting on the curb with an empty wallet, wondering what just happened.
Social media marketing is something you build. You earn your followers through posting value-add content, positive interactions, and by making the right moves at the right time. While you can pay for followers, you're not likely to get any lasting benefit from this short-cut. As a matter of fact, buying followers may actually have a detrimental effect. People like to look and see who follows you. When they do, they can tell if you've purchased those followers and your credibility will immediately take a nose-dive.
Pitfall #3: Going Dark
How do you swim across an ocean? You just keep swimming. Even if your posts are getting minimal attention, it's still a dog paddle keeping you afloat. New posts can draw attention, and if you have an archive of past posts your new fans have something to dig through. If you stop posting entirely, though, you're going to sink. Swimming back to the surface takes a lot more effort than treading water, which is why it's important to keep going, even if you're not getting the results you want right now.
Pitfall #4: Always Talking, But Never Listening
Social media is supposed to be SOCIAL. It's a uniquely interactive medium. As such, people are going to give you their feedback on what you're doing. And you, as the responsible, professional company, need to listen. People are telling you exactly what you can do to make them happy, and if you do it, they'll follow you and keep coming back. So pay attention, and interact with your followers instead of getting up on your soap box and delivering your prepared speech over and over again.
These are, of course, just a few of the pitfalls lurking on the path to social media success. If you need more advice, simply contact us today!
