1. Trying to be on every platform. If you are running your own business social media, chances are, you don’t have time to do more than 1-2 platforms well. You are better off focusing on what you have time for and doing it right than spreading yourself too thin over Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Linked In, and Twitter! It is better to not be on a platform than to be there and do a terrible job. That makes your business look bad to potential customers who see it. If you’re just starting out, pick the social media platform where your potential clients are most likely to be (check out this blog post if you don’t know) and start there. Once you’ve mastered that platform, add a second. Unless you have lots of extra time I would stop there. Two is enough to get you started and then you can wait till you have the budget to hire an expert to help you do more. You don’t want to find yourself posting less than ideal content “just to get it done”.
2. Scheduling posts and never looking back. Scheduling posts is a huge time saver and I always recommend it. You can schedule a week’s worth of social media in one afternoon! The problem becomes when you never log back on after it’s scheduled. You can post the best content for your audience but if you are not on there engaging on other content and answering all the comments on yours’, those annoying algorithms are not going to show your content as often. To help your content get seen, put reminders in your calendar to hop on and engage. Best time to engage is typically when your post hits but engaging for at least 15 minutes per day will help your post’s reach. So don’t forget to do it!
3. Posting the same content everywhere. Yes, you can share your Instagram post directly to Facebook. Schedulers like Hootsuite let you post the same thing to 3-4 platforms at the same time. But should you? No! If everything’s the same everywhere, why would anyone need to follow you on more than one platform? Give people a reason to seek you out on Instagram after they found you on Facebook. Provide a different value. That does not mean you can’t reuse great content from one to the other, just don’t do it the same day. If you post something on Facebook today, wait a week to put it on Twitter. Also make sure you tweak it (graphic, text, layout) to work best for each platform.
4. Talking about your business too much. I know the reason you are on social media is to sell your product or service but don’t over post about it. Your target audience is not on social media solely to buy your product. They are going to unfollow you if all you do is try to sell it to them. Here is a good place to use the 80/20 rule. Post content that educates, entertains, and inspires your target audience 80% of the time. Offer them value and advice that will make you an expert in your field. Then 20% of the time post about what you offer. You’ll find your audience will respond better.
5. What’s a social media strategy? Posting whatever comes to mind that day is not a strategy. Like any part of your marketing, your social media needs a clear defined plan. Who is your target audience? What kind of content do they crave? How can your business fit in with that content and create irresistible posts? Having a consistent posting schedule with daily outlined topics that will attract the right audience is key is helping your business grow. Don’t skip this step or much of your efforts will be wasted.
6. Ignoring the metrics. Your business social media metrics are free so make sure you are familiar with them! Posting when your audience is more likely to be online can make or break a post. Knowing the demographics of who follows you can help you define your content to be more engaging. Spending time going over metrics to see which of your posts hit it out of the park and which barely got any engagement can help you tailor your future content. Don’t ignore the metrics. Knowing what works and doesn’t for your profile can help you streamline your content, making it easier to reach more people and get more engagement to start building those online relationships.
7. Not having a complete or current profile. This sounds like a no brainer but I see it all the time, especially on Facebook because there’s so many things to fill in. The more complete your profile, the more Facebook or any other social media platform believes you are real and not a fake account. Which means they are more likely to show you as a suggestion to follow. So fill in everything you can and if you are given the option to verify emails and phone numbers, do it! This is also how a potential new client first sees you when they look for your profile. Make them want to follow you, want to engage with you. Make your profile enticing and relatable. It’s your biggest marketing opportunity on social media!