1. Not having a purpose
Have you ever asked yourself - why is my business on social media? I would be filthy rich if I got a dollar each time I heard “We are on social media because everyone else is.” Sure, but what value can you add to the market and your company by being on a social media platform? Without a purpose you’ll struggle with content and waste time on a platform for no reason. And it will be obvious to the users. So, why should people follow and engage with your brand on social media? Exactly, quid pro quo.
How to solve this: Ask yourself what issue you are solving by being present on social media.
Example:
Issue: We have a hard time attracting people to come and work for us
Solution: Employer Branding Plan
Media platform: Instagram & LinkedIn
Content: Show how awesome it is to work at your company. Introduce your co-workers. Give your employees a voice, let them share the best part of working at your company and their knowledge/expertise in their respective field.
Measure (KPIs): Amount of spontaneous applications, engagement rate (percent) on social media, number of visits to career site
2. Not having a strategy
It’s no secret that there’s an algoritm behind every platform. This algoritm decides whether your content is worthy attention, or not. There’s only one truth about a social media algoritm: it changes. Therefore, don’t try to beat the algoritm. Be you and stay true to your brand. That's how you build a fan base. Here are four key elements to include in your strategy to make it successful:
Recency The latest posts are usually shown first in the feed, so keep track of when your audience/followers tend to be active on the platform by using the analytics tool.
Consistency Build loyalty to your audience by showing up in their feed at certain days and times. You don’t have to put up high-quality content each time, but you do need to show up as “promised.” Again, check your analytics tool, and make sure you post on the chosen days and times that your audience is present. You can't just disappear in a month and then show up all of a sudden, or whenever it suits you. Would you like to have a relationship with someone like that?
Trends Follow popular trends by adding your own twist to it. Show your audience you’re on top of trends and stay attentive.
Awareness In order to succeed in something you need to invest time in it, agree? The same goes for social media. You need to be on there, consuming content at least 4 times longer than you spend on actually creating and posting content. Because, you need to know what’s going on. In marketing there’s a saying: Successful marketing is about the consumer, not the business itself. Well, in order to know what consumers are engaging with, wanting to consume, social movements, etc, so that you can build successful content, you need to start consuming content yourself: read comments, watch trends, analyze successful posts and what distinguishes them from other posts, etc. Invest time in consuming content.
3. Not answering their community
Social media is a two-way communication. It’s an advantage. And, it’s free. Make use of it. If users comment, ask questions or even leave feedback on your posts - answer them. This is a great way of gathering feedback from customers, engage and talk with your audience and stay close to them - all success factors of building trust towards your fans and potential clients, and increase your sales. Let them know you see and hear them. Imagine yourself talking to somebody and not getting a response - how would you feel? Again, not a very sustainable relationship to be in. A quick response can actually be the trigger that makes a user follow you, buy your product instead of your competitor’s and recommend you to friends and family. Bet you feel an urge to jump on all those unanswered comments now, huh?
(Tip: Some companies even use social media for customer support: check out Evernote’s support page on Twitter where users can tweet their issue and get help from their customer service.)
4. Not sharing user-generated content
Imagine yourself up on stage, you just did your best performance. The audience rise up in fierce claps and loud whistles. You are moved by the response and feel appreciated. That’s how your fans feel when you share their posts. If a user posts something about your product - share it on your social media account. Show them you appreciate them taking their time and effort to create content around your products or brand. Plus, it’s free content! Guys. FREE CONTENT.
You also show your current fans that you see, hear and appreciate your customers. That’s called successful brand building and customer retention. Only to be implemented if you want to increase sales, keep your customers and build a successful brand.
5. Not adding a link to the profile
It’s a quick fix and it helps users find your website easily. Go to your business profile on the social media platforms you use. Find a button that says ‘Edit Profile’ and click on it. In the field marked ‘Website,’ ’URL,’ or ‘Link’, enter your website URL. Don’t forget to save. Now, if a user likes your content, they can go to your profile and move on to your website by just clicking a button. On there, they might even subscribe to your newsletter or buy your products. Again, make it as easy for the user as possible.
Now, go be awesome on social media!
Let me know if you have questions or need further guidance.
Love,
Gaby