Social media marketing (SMM), also sometimes called social network marketing (SNM), is a strategy that helps you build a network of customers and potential customers, stay in touch with those who are interested in your products and services, and ultimately build your bottom line in the form of additional sales.
However, many businesses do not know how to build a sound SMM strategy, or they make many mistakes along the way that actually do more harm than good. Here is a look at 6 mistakes you should avoid:
1. Too Little Content
Forming a social network presence takes more than simply creating an account on Facebook or Twitter. Too many businesses are of the mind that “if you build it, they will come,” meaning as long as there is an account, people will find you.
However, no one will find you, or want to stay with you, if you do not offer them quality content in your social media updates and posts. Rather, you should focus on sending quality updates and including links to video, pictures, podcasts, or other pertinent news stories.
2. Too Many Updates
While too little content will not help you build a social network, too much can turn them off to your efforts. Posting continuous updates becomes exhausting and makes your followers weary of your constant “presence.” Be sure to spread out your updates and make each one count for quality, not quantity.
3. Little or No Interaction With Followers
One of the reasons so many people around the world like social media is the interaction with others. Don’t fail to encourage and stimulate conversations with your fans and followers. Engaging your social community helps nurture your relationship and strengthen the bond and loyalty with your company.
4. Improper Competitor Approaches
Don’t think that you’re the only one trying to promote your type of business through social media. Ignoring your competitors puts you in a vacuum and prevents you from learning how your competition operates. Likewise, ridiculing or putting down your competition through SMM tactics can backfire and set your own fans and followers against you.
5. Failing to Analyze
Do you know how effective your SMM campaigns are? How many of your social media marketing updates result in clicks to your website? How many of those result in converted sales? How are your SMM updates being discussed and shared? These are just a few of the questions you need to answer in order to effectively re-evaluate and update your SMM efforts. Don’t fail to analyze your metrics.
6. Failing to be Authentic
Don’t try to follow trends and fads with your SMM updates. Many business bloggers and social media strategies simply try to repost or recycle something else that is the current most popular hashtag. Make sure your posts are 100% from the heart, and make sure each one gives your audience something of value.