Focus on social media: mistakes to avoid

Social media has become a crucial part of how online businesses communicate with their audiences.  But when it is done badly, the effects can be severe.

A brand has no control over what users say about it in social media so making sure that they are saying the rights things is important – managing the situation when they aren’t saying the right things is equally essential.

We have come up with this little list of mistakes to try and avoid when you’re using social media platforms.

In this article we will:

1. List and explain the common mistakes made when dealing with social media

Here are our ten mistakes to avoid

Not having a plan

When it comes to social media, like many parts of your business, it needs a strategy. You need to think about what you want to achieve from each of the channels you choose to have a presence on and think about how you are going to get it.

By having a strategy and setting targets you can measure the success of your campaigns and realise when changes need to be made.

Not doing your research

There are quite a few social media platforms out there now all with their own nuances. You need to research whether a particular platform is right for you and how it is best to approach it before you launch in head first.

Trying to be on all platforms without the resources

Social media takes time and expertise to manage – it is a full-time job for many people. With this in mind you need to only take on as much as you think you can handle and handle well.

As you get more confident or get more staff on board you can think about branching into more platforms. Keeping up to date on what is out there is a good move though, even if you don’t think you can manage it yet.

Having an inexperienced person posting

Whether it is just you or other members of your team – make sure that the people doing the posting know what they are doing and don’t post anything you will go on to regret.

Everyone who has access to your social media channels should be well-versed in what can and cannot be said as well as the tone of the messaging.

Not replying quickly

It could be a complaint, it could be a question, it might well be a thank you but make sure that all mentions and messages to your company are replied to as quickly as possible.

This shows the customer that you are attentive and that their engagement matters to you.

Only trying to sell

It is true that social media channels are a good way to encourage customers to buy from you. But if these kinds of messages are the only ones being posted by your company people will quickly grow tired of seeing your messages.

Only posting about your company

Social media is about creating communities and sharing information. If you are only ever talking about your own company, you aren’t really engaging with what is happening elsewhere in your industry or in other areas of interest for your target audience.

Ignoring complaints

When something negative is said about your company on social media the worst thing you can do is ignore it. You need to react and fast if you are going to turn the situation around. Speed, honesty and often humour are the keys to turning a complaint into a good PR stunt. People really appreciate it when their complaints are dealt with well.

Not looking for engagement

Social media is often a two-way street and you need to listen to what your users are saying and engage them to give their opinions. If all of your posts are just telling people things it isn’t good for engagement. You should ask questions, ask for responses and get people to act rather than simply to told.

Not having social media buttons on your site

A social strategy doesn’t end with creating profiles on the platforms – you should be including social media buttons on your own site also. This makes it easy for your customers to share your products or content with their networks.

Social media has become a crucial part of how online businesses communicate with their audiences.  But when it is done badly, the effects can be severe. A brand has no control over what users say about it in social media so making sure that they are saying the rights things is important – managing the situation when they aren’t saying the right things is equally essential.

With that in mind we have come up with this little list of mistakes to try and avoid when you’re using social media platforms.

In this article we intend to:

List and explain the common mistakes made when dealing with social media

Here are our ten mistakes to avoid

Not having a plan

When it comes to social media, like many parts of your business, it needs a strategy. You need to think about what you want to achieve from each of the channels you choose to have a presence on and think about how you are going to get it. By having a strategy and setting targets you can measure the success of your campaigns and realise when changes need to be made.

Not doing your research

There are quite a few social media platforms out there now all with their own nuances. You need to research whether a particular platform is right for you and how it is best to approach it before you launch in head first.

Trying to be on all platforms without the resources

Social media takes time and expertise to manage – it is a full-time job for many people. With this in mind you need to only take on as much as you think you can handle and handle well. As you get more confident or get more staff on board you can think about branching into more platforms. Keeping up to date on what is out there is a good move though, even if you don’t think you can manage it yet.

Having an inexperienced person posting

Whether it is just you or other members of your team – make sure that the people doing the posting know what they are doing and don’t post anything you will go on to regret. Everyone who has access to your social media channels should be well-versed in what can and cannot be said as well as the tone of the messaging.

Not replying quickly enough

It could be a complaint, it could be a question, it might well be a thank you but make sure that all mentions and messages to your company are replied to as quickly as possible. This shows the customer that you are attentive and that their engagement matters to you.

Only trying to sell

It is true that social media channels are a good way to encourage customers to buy from you. But if these kinds of messages are the only ones being posted by your company people will quickly grow tired of seeing your messages.

Only posting about your company

Social media is about creating communities and sharing information. If you are only ever talking about your own company, you aren’t really engaging with what is happening elsewhere in your industry or in other areas of interest for your target audience.

Ignoring complaints

When something negative is said about your company on social media the worst thing you can do is ignore it. You need to react and fast if you are going to turn the situation around. Speed, honesty and often humour are the keys to turning a complaint into a good PR stunt. People really appreciate it when their complaints are dealt with well.

Not looking for engagement

Social media is often a two-way street and you need to listen to what your users are saying and engage them to give their opinions. If all of your posts are just telling people things it isn’t good for engagement. You should ask questions, ask for responses and get people to act rather than simply to told.

Not having social media buttons on your site

A social strategy doesn’t end with creating profiles on the platforms – you should be including social media buttons on your own site also. This makes it easy for your customers to share your products or content with their networks.