It is the world’s worst kept secret that social media marketing has become an important digital marketing strategy. Social media remains one of the most effective ways to build brand awareness. Hence making it a crime for brands to commit social media marketing mistakes. It is not a one-way traffic communication system. But also provides a space for customers to reach out to brands and start a conversation. Social media creates the space for brands to engage their audience outside of their website or brick and mortar facilities.
I have heard brands make remarks like “Why do I need to hire someone to manage our social media?” “Why pay someone to come post on Facebook for us?” I have put together a list of common social media marketing mistakes made by brands and tips to help avoid these simple errors.
Lack of Social Media Strategy:
A popular adage often attributed to Benjamin Franklin “Failing to plan is planning to fail” Having a social media strategy will help you set SMART goals and define your KPIs. Social media strategy would also define daily activities and how postings.
Using the wrong social channel:
Many brands don’t know what platforms they should be using and how often they should be posting. Each social media platform has its unique selling proposition. Instagram is for visual effects, using images and videos. Pinterest is exclusive to images. Twitter is for short messages limited to 140 characters. Writing a message or posting an image and cross-posting to all channels might not be effective. Or outrightly posting the right content on the wrong platform.
No Distinct Target Market:
An important rule of marketing or running a business or selling a product is to know your customer base. Getting a social media account and posting randomly with the hope of gaining followers or leads is very inefficient. Brands will need to do a market research and set up a buyer persona (ideal customer.) Social media activities will always aim at the target market.
Inconsistent Brand Voice:
Every brand has a tone or way of communicating with their online audience. Brand voice is a deliberate and consistent expression of a brand via text, image or video to engage with customers. When posting on social media brands need to understand they are reaching out to loyal customers as well as leads. Major brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, and Dove have a consistent brand voice on social media. Loyal customers can identify with the voice and message. Brands need to find their brand voice and build on it.
Misuse of Hashtags:
Hashtags are very vital in social media, and they used for events or competitions. Every social media platform has its hashtags unique relevance. Misuse of hashtags either by overusing or underusing could negatively affect social posts. Brands should carry out hashtag research before using a hashtag. A couple of brands has suffered negative impact by using a hashtag tied to a tragic event to promote products. Always ensure you understand what hashtags actually mean, so you can use them in the appropriate way for each platform.
Stay tuned for more examples of how brands are making Social Media Marketing Mistakes.
©️ Akara, D.
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