There’s no denying that social media is a great resource for small businesses eager to establish themselves as a brand. It puts you in direct contact with the customers and prospects who will guide you towards healthy and sustainable growth. It allows you to network with other businesses and professionals for powerful cross-promotional and co-branding opportunities. It allows you to define the parameters of your brand in terms of its voice, its tone, its feel and its persona. And best of all… It’s absolutely free. Nonetheless, while social media can be a real boon to your nascent business, it can also prove an impediment when not handled correctly.
If you want to make a big impression with your social media marketing in 2019, you’ll need to steer clear of these common blunders…
Assuming you can go it alone
Just because you’re savvy with the use of social media as a private user does not necessarily mean that you’re as adept in using it for business matters. Social media use for business is a discrete discipline and assuming that you can go it alone can lead for an underwhelming or (worse still) disappointing first impression among your target market.
Before you set digital pen to digital paper, consider using an outsourced third party like The Social Savior to ensure that your brand makes the perfect first impression on social media. After all… You only ever get the one chance to make a first impression!
Blitzing all social platforms indiscriminately
Not all social platforms are created equal and not all are the best place to get to know your target market. For example, if you’re after the young and uber-hip new generation of consumers you may think that Facebook is the best place to reach them… But many younger users don’t use Facebook as often as you may think. Instead, many gravitate towards more visually led platforms like Snapchat or Instagram.
Channeling your efforts into reaching your target market on the wrong platforms can be a drain on your precious time and resources. Ensuring that your social media content reaches the right eyes on the right platforms should be a core element of your market research and strategy.
Having a voice which is ill-defined or inconsistent
Your social media marketing should be approached in the same way as other content marketing like your blog or your video content. It should have a clearly defined tone of voice that suits your branding and resonates with your target audience. If your voice is poorly defined or inconsistent don’t be surprised if users don’t warm to it.
Failing to build social proof
Your social media presence is a great opportunity to build the kind of social proof that matters to your target market. But this doesn’t happen of its own accord. You need to bring this social proof to light. Share glowing Google reviews left by customers. Retweet when someone says nice things about you and your business. Show all those prospects out there the value you can bring to them!
Failing to respond to user complaints
Finally, when user complaints are left to fester on your Facebook wall or your Twitter feed this can have a cancerous effect on your social media presence. The worst thing you can do is bury your head in the sand. React to them as quickly, politely and openly as possible and you’ll show your prospects how seriously you take their satisfaction!
