As a small business, social media is your secret weapon for marketing. It is essential to use it to reach new customers and connect with existing ones. But whether you are just starting or already running a successful campaign, there is always room for improvement. In this article, we will explore small businesses’ top most common social media mistakes and how to fix them, including tips on improving your social media marketing strategy.
10 Most Common Social Media Mistakes
1. Not Posting Regularly Enough
One of small businesses’ most common social media mistakes is not posting regularly enough. That can be for various reasons, from lack of time to simply forgetting. However, if you are not posting regularly, your audience will quickly lose interest and move on to other brands that are more active on social media.
The fix: Set aside some time each week to plan and schedule your social posts. If you can, name someone on your team your social media manager, do it. Ensure they have the time and resources they need to achieve social media success..
Some popular social posting planners include Hootsuite, Later, and Buffer, all with free to paid plans.
2. Posting Too Much
On the opposite end, some businesses post a little too much. That can overwhelm your followers and turn them off your brand. Therefore, it is essential to balance posting too little and too much.
The fix: Take a step back and analyze how often you post on each social media platform. If you post multiple times a day on any platform, try scaling back to once a day or a couple of times a week.
Experiment with different posting frequencies and see what works best for your audience.
Remember that each industry is the other, so what frequency is too much in one niche is perfectly fine in another.
3. Not Posting Relevant Content
Another common mistake is sharing content that is irrelevant to your audience or industry. This can happen if you try to be too general in your social media marketing or are unsure who your target audience is. As a result, your posts will fall flat and not engage your audience.
The fix: Take some time to research your target audience. Find out what content interests your audience. Once you know whom you are talking to, you can start creating content that resonates.
If you are struggling to produce ideas, try looking at what other businesses in your industry are doing on social media. Use social listening tools to track relevant keywords and see trends. Then, adapt and improve upon it for your audience.
4. Not Engaging with Your Followers
Another mistake small businesses make on social media is not engaging with their followers. Social media engagement means more than just responding to comments and @ mentions (although that is important, too). It also means liking, sharing, and commenting on other people’s content.
The fix: Spend some time each day engaging with your followers and other people in your industry. Like and comment on their posts, share their content and start conversations. Not only will this help you build relationships, but it will also make your brand more visible to new potential customers.
Many tools can help you organize and merge your social media profiles into one dashboard. In addition, these listening tools can single-handedly change the game if you try increasing your engagement across all social media platforms.
Sprout Social, Salesforce’s Service Cloud, and Reputation are the best at this. On a budget? Try Hootsuite.
5. Not Measuring Your Results
Measuring your results is essential. Analytics are necessary for any social media marketing campaign but are critical on social media. With so much noise, it can be easy to get lost and not know if your efforts are paying off.
The fix: Use social media analytics tools to track your progress and measure your results. These tools will help you see how many people engage with your content, what kind of impact you are making, and where you can improve.
It is impossible to know if your social media marketing is working without measuring your results.
Many platforms will have these tools built-in, but other services, like Sprout Social, Buffer Analyze, Hootsuite, and Social Report, can give you deeper insights into your customer base and what resonates with them.
6. Not Having a Strategy
One of the small businesses’ biggest social media mistakes is not having a strategy. They might post randomly or without purpose, which can waste time and effort.
The fix: Having a social media strategy and social media plan in place will guarantee that your efforts are more successful and are working to aid your company’s broader goals. When you are producing a strategy, it is critical to keep these goals in mind to create material that supports them.
Additionally, figure out what your social media goals are and what you want to get out of them, and make sure to track them with analytic software (mentioned above) to ensure that your work is paying off. Finally, when developing a plan, remember who your customers are. Pinpoint your target audience and create content that speaks to them that aligns with your goals.
It is essential to take some time to develop a strategy. Without one, it is easy to drown in the sea of social media and carry out nothing.
7. Not Using Social Media Features
Social media is a powerful marketing tool, but many small businesses do not use it to its full potential. As a result, they might not take advantage of all the features available, or they might not use them to reach their target audience.
The fix: Make sure you use all the features available on each social platform. For example, on Facebook, you can use groups, events, and Messenger to reach more people. On Twitter, you can use hashtags and lists to organize your followers. And on Instagram, you can use Stories, Live videos, and IGTV to engage with your audience.
Take some time to learn about all the features on different social media platforms and how you can use them to reach your target audience. Then, start using them to your advantage to attract customers and increase sales.
8. Not Promoting Your Content
Not promoting your content can be a big mistake, especially if you are a small business with limited resources. If you are not promoting your content, it is unlikely that anyone will see it.
The fix: Promote your content on social media and other channels. Use paid advertising, share it with influencers, and post it in relevant groups and forums.
Do not neglect to promote your content. Instead, ensure you are doing everything possible to get it in front of as many people as possible.
9. Not Taking Advantage of Trends
Trends are everywhere, and they are easy to pick up if you use social media in private and work settings. Taking advantage of a trend can make your post go viral, especially if you curate it to your audience. Ignoring trends will make you miss countless free promotion opportunities. Use every opportunity to engage with your customers.
The fix: Use social media trends to your advantage. If you see a trend relevant to your business, jump on it and use it to promote your content. Not only will you further your reach, but it will also make your brand more visible and relevant.
If you are unsure where to start, check out some influencers in your industry and see what they are doing to get eyes on their posts. Then, use free websites like Google Trends, TweetDeck, and BrandMentions to track trends.
10. Ignoring Negative Feedback
You will inevitably receive some negative feedback at some point. And while it is not pleasant, taking it in stride and using it as an opportunity to improve your business is crucial.
The fix: Don’t ignore negative feedback. Respond to it constructively and use it to make your business better. Negative feedback can be painful but listening to it and using it to improve your business is essential.
Bonus tip: Staying in your comfort zone can kill your social media marketing efforts
If you are not comfortable with change, you will never be able to take advantage of new opportunities or reach your full potential.
Be open to change and willing to try new things. Social media is constantly changing, so you need to be too.
Social Media Manager Mistakes Conclusion
These are just a few of the most common social media mistakes small businesses make on social networks. But, manage to avoid these mistakes, and social media can boost your business. We know that many business owners like you find social media and marketing in general exasperating.
But you know it’s critical for your business to grow. Consistent marketing success requires a systematic approach, one that is based on a proven strategy. So, how can you get there? Start with our Marketing Essentials Assessment.
