It’s easy to see why social media has become intrinsically ingrained in the marketing strategies of so many businesses. After all, the web’s most prominent social platforms are free, user-friendly, and able to exponentially heighten brand awareness.
Unfortunately, without even realizing it, a fair number of small businesses inadvertently hinder their own social media efforts. Business owners looking to take their social media game to the next level should take care to avoid the following behaviors.
Not Reaching Out to Experienced Professionals
If neither you nor anyone in your employ has much experience with social media, it’s in your best interest to get in touch with a highly-rated digital marketing agency. Seasoned web marketers will be able to walk you through the basics of social media promotion and help you design and implement an assortment of social media-based marketing endeavors. Magic City-based small business owners who want to kick their social media efforts into overdrive are encouraged to work with a dependable digital marketing agency in Miami, FL.
Posting Irregularly
If success on social media is what you’re after, it is imperative that you update your various accounts on a daily basis. Unsurprisingly, people tend to lose interest in accounts that go long periods without updating. So, if you’ve developed a habit of posting sporadically, this is one behavior you’ll need to correct.
The ideal number of daily updates varies by platform. For example, platforms that support long-form posts, like Facebook and Instagram, should be updated at least one to two times per day. Additionally, platforms that are geared towards short-form posts – most notably Twitter – should receive between one and five daily updates. Fortunately, since many posts can be recycled and used across various accounts, you won’t necessarily need to worry about making all of your posts platform-specific. Furthermore, should you have trouble coming up with multiple posts per day, consider alternating social media duties with various team members.
Just as posting too little can prove a hindrance to success, so too can posting excessively. For instance, if you post an exorbitant number of updates that are of little relevance to your brand, many of your followers are likely to become annoyed, prompting them to mute you or unfollow you entirely. So, while daily updates are certainly important, it’s entirely possible to overdo it.
Never Engaging with Others
Any small business owner would do well to regard social media interactions as an extension of their customer service. Given that the ability to instantly reach out to one’s favorite brands is one of the primary draws of social media, it’s safe to assume that you’re going to receive a fair number of questions, comments, and complaints from followers and non-followers via your various social media accounts.
Needless to say, if you take a long time to respond to this communique or respond in a rude, dismissive manner, people are going to be left with the impression that your business doesn’t value its customers.
In the interest of avoiding this, make sure to respond to any social media communique in a timely and polite manner. For example, if a question or comment is received during normal business hours, make an effort to respond before the end of the workday. Furthermore, take care to be as polite and personable as possible when interacting with others on social media. The nicer you are, the more loyal followers are liable to feel toward your brand.
For this reason, you should make a conscious effort to avoid getting into arguments on social media. Not only does arguing this makes you look immature and petty in the eyes of your followers, it often gives the people who thrive on social media-based conflict exactly what they want. So, no matter how rigorously someone attempts to goad you into an argument, simply refuse to engage.
Enhancing your small business’s presence on social media can be a boon to your digital marketing efforts. Not only will staying active on social media serve to inform loyal patrons, but it also stands to draw scores of prospective customers to your brand.
However, despite having no shortage of ambition, many small businesses fail to garner success through their social media efforts. So, if you or any of your team members have a history of making any of the mistakes outlined above, take care to reverse the course in a timely manner.
