Hand holding smart phone on top of gold background

August 31 2021

by David Tillson

Social Media

3 Mistakes to Avoid In Social Media Marketing

Welcome to the golden age of marketing. As an entrepreneur, you now have the ability to reach your desired demographic right at your fingertips. No longer will your business be subject to marketing outlets like canvassing or cold-calling. Sounds ethereal, doesn’t it? Well, it is. However, one area that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves is one that everyone uses on a daily basis: social media.

The truth is, many businesses fail in their social media marketing strategies. Let’s make sure that you’re not one of the many who fail. Let’s be certain that you are part of the elite few who excelled. Be warned: there is no secret sauce. The key is to be truthful to your voice and your business; your social strategy has to embody the passion behind your product or service. Following a few simple steps, you can transform your business’s social media marketing strategy and profiles into the powerhouse it was always meant to be.

Transparent Social Media Planning

You may not have an honest plan. An integral part of building any long-lasting relationship is honesty. Whether the relationship is between you and your significant other, your product or service and your client, or your business and your social media pages, honesty is paramount to success. Don’t mistake this fact as an indication to go ahead and list all of the defects or problems with your product or service. Everyone intuitively knows that everything will have its issues. The key is to be honest in your belief of the product and your knowledge about why it is beneficial, then encouraging that belief to be held by the consumer. Make an effort to highlight and emphasize the reason(s) that your product or service is better than that of your competitors.

Ask yourself: what makes your product better than your competitor’s? Based on your response, articulate a strategy in terms of the pictures, hashtags, profile descriptions, and posts you create to outdo others in your industry. In doing so, you will reinforce your belief in your product. Once you can truthfully say you believe in your product, capitalize on it! Craft your social media marketing strategy and messaging based on your honest understanding of the product and why you believe in it.

Social Media Posting Cadence

Are you regularly posting? If not, you may be missing out on a pool of potential clients. Statistics show that 70% of Facebook users check their feed daily. Additionally, nearly 30% of all adults actively use LinkedIn.  Having a consistent posting cadence is the key to getting your content in front of your target audience. Consistent posting also allows you to enhance your branding and identity. It’s much easier for your target audience, especially in a B2B industry, to fully understand who your brand is through a constant stream of content that tells your story and highlights your brand’s unique personality through intentional messaging and well-planned posts. Drive yourself and test your creativity by generating one social media post a day.

Shake Up Your Social Media Messaging

Ask yourself: Do you market all social media platforms in the same way? If you do, you might not be making the most of what each platform has to offer, regardless of the size of your business. Each social media platform is unique, much like the individual consumers of your target audience. Typical statistics would inform you that you should be targeting the demographic, but it is when you target the individual that you make true progress. Bonus pro tip: go one step further in connecting with your audience on an individual level by making your content digitally accessible to all potential audiences.

Run With It!

Every journey begins with a crucial first step. Whether your business journey is just beginning or well-established in its industry, the next chapter is always written with a purpose. You are the writer of your next chapter. What will you achieve with this new knowledge of the dos and don’ts of Social Media Marketing? Don’t feel like you have to tackle this on your own. Reach out to the crew at VSSL and get started on the transformation of your social media marketing strategy.