Many novice social media marketers tend to oversimplify local social media marketing as it appears similar to utilizing social media for personal use. In some ways, the two are similar but there are numerous pitfalls associated with crafting a local social media campaign in the same way one uses a personal social media account.
- See also: Social Media Account Setup Checklist
Below is a list of the top five pitfalls typically seen in ineffective social media marketing.
1. Lack Of Data Analytics
Experienced social media marketers do not base the efficacy of a marketing strategy on whether or not something appears to looks good. It is important to measure current performance in addition to trends over time when fine-tuning a social media marketing campaign. It is also critical to periodically measure performance and reassess strategy.
2. Absence Of Your Brands Personality
Everything your business posts conveys a public story that is related in some way to your brand. It is crucial to know what story you want to tell and how you want others to perceive your brand when crafting a social media campaign. Avoid personal anecdotes, and focus on ways to engage an audience with the ideas & themes behind your brand in mind.
3. Irrelevant Or Off Topic Posts
Craft a clever story while resisting the urge to stray off topic. Every post should be consistent and relevant to the brand you're attempting to build. It is important to focus on what message you want your brand to convey over social media sites rather than posting just for the sake of posting. After all, your audience should identify with your brand rather than identify with you as an individual.
4. Lack Of Meaningful Engagement With Audience Members
It is important to be the driving force behind your brands community by being an active member of said community. Welcome others, introduce new brand-related topics, and keep the conversation going. Build an engaged community with a common interest -- your brand.
As the personality behind your brand, you have to make things a little more personal. Don't rely on automated responses to generate community engagement. Instead, continue to keep your social community strong as well as focused. It is not uncommon to have an insane number of users to interact with on multiple platforms, and utilizing a social media management tool can help manage these large crowds.
5. Unwise Posts And An Unresponsive Approach
We've seen firsthand that social media sites are not the outlet to voice personal complaints. Complain about whoever or whatever with friends over the phone. Only post positive comments on social media sites, and respond to direct queries from audience members. As a good rule of thumb, do not post anything that you would not want the entire world to read and readily associate with your brand. Before you hit that send button, take time to reflect over what you wrote and be absolutely certain its consistent and relevant to your brand. There's no going back once a negative post hits social media.
Keep your audience engaged by posting regularly and thoughtfully. The goal here is to keep your audience members eagerly waiting for and wanting more content instead of finding a better social media outlet. Be creative, and offer opportunities for meaningful engagement. Too many posts can get overwhelming for audience members, and they can often become highly repetitive. Post content that contributes to your brand rather than repetitive content about products for sale. Simply reaching out and engaging your community to hear what they have to say will take your business farther than pushing your products through repetitive sales posts. Show your social audience something new and exciting.
The Difference Between Beginners And Social Marketing Experts
Local social media marketing experts know how to create and analyze different social marketing strategies. Perhaps even more important, these experts know how to create a sustainable community around a brand. Get off to a good start by either outsourcing social media marketing initiatives or approaching social media in a brand-oriented way.
Great article! It takes time to figure out how to use social media professionally, but you point out some real weaknesses that are easy enough to fix. Your second pitfall is one that Prose Media is really aware of, because we really want to engage our audience at every opportunity.