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13 Common Social Media Marketing Mistakes That Businesses Must Avoid

13 Common Social Media Marketing Mistakes That Businesses Must Avoid

Whether you are just scrolling on your social media channel, there is always a chance to see ads popping around. Businesses explore the world of digital marketing nowadays particularly the so-called “social media marketing”. And though this type of marketing is effective, it is also challenging. Thus it is common for marketers to commit these common social media marketing mistakes we will discuss in this article.

social media marketing
Unsplash|Adem Ay

Social media marketing means connecting with the audience to build one’s brand. It increases sales and brand awareness and drives website traffic. There is numerous information on the internet about social media marketing. However, so many businesses still struggle in this field and commit social media marketing mistakes.

Common Social Media Marketing Mistakes That Businesses Must Avoid

Sometimes businesses can be overwhelmed with the power of social media, causing them to perform unplanned actions. These actions can either increase their growth or slow them.

Remember that anything you do for your business will greatly affect your business in so many ways. Hence it is important to strategize and plan first, before doing anything. And by strategize, we mean, knowing what to do and not to do. So here are some of the social media marketing mistakes most businesses fell into and how you can avoid them.

1. Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

A business’s success lies within set goals and strategies. Not having any goals will just lead the business nowhere. A social media marketing campaign without goals hinders the platform to exhibit its full potential. And with potential, we mean brand recognition, acquiring new customers, and improve sales.

Moreover, a social media marketing plan does not only determine what you want for your business. It also serves as your guidebook on how to deal with your clients or customers. Specifically, it will help you on how to market your posts, and what step to take next.

2. Being Unsure of Target Demographics

Demographics shows who make up your audience and helps you understand their individual characteristics and needs.

Remember that not everyone is your customer. Not focusing on the right demographic you should be targeting, will just slow down growth. Hence, pandering to a general audience is a core of social media marketing strategy.

Knowing the demographic of social media users gives you an endless guide on how to reposition your brand. Do they use social media as their pastime? The age, location, and even interests– are all helpful for your campaigns. When posting your advertisements, you may set and adjust them according to the demographics you are having as a guide.

Not pinning down the customers with a high interest in your products will slow down your growth.

3. Focusing Only on Follower Counts

Having more followers indicates social media success. However, you still need to know how many of these followers actually buy your products. You can grow your follower count but never take them for granted.

Failing to keep your audience interested in your products would lead to viewers’ decline –wasting the community you already build.

Moreover, content such as blogs, memes, and videos can attract more followers. But focusing on these posts while not emphasizing your brand, will consequently increase your sales. Wasting your well-established platform will just cost more negative effects producing no positive outcomes.

4. Poorly Engaging With The Audience

Quick communication is the selling advantage of the internet. However, posting your content on social media and neglecting your customers online just wastes your time.

Not engaging with the audience’s comments and feedback affects the brand perception. This will eventually cause customers’ interest in your products to decline. In addition, not assigning staff who are skilled in digital marketing tools is such as mistake.

Social media’s first requirement is for companies to be “social”. Talk to your clients or customers. Let them give feedback and have the tools or which can do the work for you. Hence giving you a more convenient way to deal with your audience. This is the core of social media marketing.

5. Investing in Low Success Rate Platforms

There are lots of popular social media platforms and the most popular include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. The popularity of a social media platform reflects the number of potential prospects.

However, this means more companies are competing for attention on these popular platforms. Eventually, some companies start to venture into niche social media sites to avoid the warzone of competition on larger platforms.

This will lead to settling in unfamiliar social media sites. Yes, these sites may have fewer competitors, but the risk of having a nearly non-existing audience is tremendously high. It is still ideal to compete in a large platform, rather than a small one with fewer prospects.

6. Having an Uncreative Content

Imagine seeing the same business flyers again and again. Just like social media posts, audiences tend to get bored really fast if they saw uncreative content. Being focus and consistent in your product’s endorsement is good, but adding a tasteful twist makes the difference.

Social media is also a form of entertainment. Hence, content creation has a large effect on any social media platform.

Experiment with new content and follow trends so more people gain interest in your business. These points will help you compete even when you are a startup.

7. Communicating Boringly

Your product should be presented in a clear and informative way. Too much formality in your tone of communicating will usually push the audience away. Consider that your audience is millennials, who are fond of fun conversations. Make use of social media and level up your advertising strategies.

Moreover, the audience needs to enjoy your content, interested and convinced. Improve visuals, add music and sprinkle some humor if you can. Changing the tone of your channel and how you present your content improves the chances of attracting more audiences.

8. Being “Tone Deaf”

Whether you believe it or not, social media is a make or break of your business. Being updated with the news outside the virtual world will help you avoid major controversies. Hence, preventing demoralizing your potential customers.

Always read the social climate while adapting and strategize accordingly. Deliver the contents they need for support and assurance, as they will reward you with loyalty. Avoid making controversial opinions or social commentary for the internet is a dangerous place.

9. Using Poor Quality Images or Videos

When you see blurry graphic advertisements on Facebook, do you feel engaged in buying the product? Probably not, or perhaps you are disappointed in its aesthetics. Social media marketing’s goal is to promote your products and services.

Posting visual content using low-budget photographic and video recording equipment will not attract customers. The audience must be pleased by your products by offering attractive visual content.

Investing in equipment that can capture high-quality photos and videos is a wise move. Exploring other editing tools will also make your customers approach you.

10. Missing Out on Trends

Winning on trends is what most social media users strive to achieve. Missing out on-trend is a crucial mistake made by social media marketers.

Not being able to capitalize on the popularity of a certain trend, lessens the chance your product is being viewed.

Always pay attention to what is “hot”. Vibe with your audiences on what is popular. Never miss out on social media trends and most importantly, enjoy it with your audience.

11. Managing Your Social Media Alone

This is the easiest mistake small businesses fall into.

Many brands fail to see the difficulty of managing their social media marketing. Problems raised from solely monitoring comments, responding to dozens of customers, and not using automated tools. These tasks can be done easily through the use of good social media marketing tools.

12. Not Investing in Advertisement

Just because social media marketing is free, doesn’t mean you can’t invest in ads. Small brands out choose to seemingly “save money” than allot budget for it. Others never consider ads because social media is free advertising itself. Consequently, this slows down or even prevents brands to expand their demographic.

Always remember that advertising is a basic yet effective marketing strategy.

13. Refusing to Improve

While boring content is caused by a lack of creativity, refusal to improve is also common. This comes back to the fact that most companies take social media management for granted. Refusing to add effort to contents misses out on more potential audiences. Furthermore, this mistake is usually caused by poor social media management. Lack of budget is another problem since quality content requires manpower, skills, and resources.

Take note of these social media marketing mistakes and avoid them!

These social media marketing mistakes were listed for you! So what you have to do is to list them down, study them, and avoid them.

Social media is a simple way for your business to be well known. But understanding how it can effectively help your business will take some than just posting. Hence, you have to use it as a tool that can prevent or lessen these common social media marketing mistakes.