Essentially everyone, including businesses, have some kind of social media. It is an easy way to build your brand's voice, engage your customers beyond transactions, and it is easy, free advertising once you have built a loyal following.
However, many businesses underutilize social media or don't even use it at all. Business owners view social media as a chore or an unnecessary component of their business model. Even businesses that are active on social media regularly make huge mistakes that kill their potential growth.
Let's examine the biggest social media mistakes businesses make, and what they can do to resolve them.
Mistake #1: Businesses Don't Have a Social Media Presence at All
Not having any kind of social media presence hamstrings your ability to bring in new customers. According to Blue Corona, a large nationwide marketing firm, only 49% of small businesses have a social media page at all, and only 51% have a website.
That same study shows that up to 80% of customers opt to research any given business before they make their first purchase or visit in-store. If you don't have a social media presence at all, up to 80% of customers will disregard your business in favor of one that has a stronger online presence.
Having some kind of social media or online presence is pivotal to making sure you connect with new customers and continue steady business growth.
Mistake #2: Businesses Only Use Social Media to Sell or Advertise
Most everyone has a relative or friend who only makes contact when they want something. That selfish contact tends to get on your nerves, right? Businesses that only post when they are actively trying to sell something are just like your sister who only calls when she wants some cash!
Customers are already tired of seeing ads or sponsored posts in their social media feeds. The last thing they want is a constant stream of ads from companies they have chosen to follow. You have to find a way to engage your customers beyond selling to them. That way, when they do see a post trying to sell or otherwise make a call to action, they engage instead of scrolling by.
How businesses interact with their customers beyond selling to them will look different based on what kind of business is in question. For example, a boutique cake decorating business should be posting pictures of finished products! Using a visual medium is perfect for social media. It draws attention to your expertise and reaffirms that you are an authority.
If you constantly post beautiful-looking cakes, guess who is going to contact you the next time they have a birthday or a wedding? They'll choose the business that has made an effort to establish themselves as an authority through engaging social media.
Mistake #3: Businesses Don't Post on a Regular Schedule
Even if a business makes the right kind of post, it won't do much good if they don't post on a regular schedule. The key to building a loyal social media following and regularly engaging with customers is regularly posting content.
Posting regular content doesn't mean posting every day. Depending on your business, it may not make sense to post that often. However, posting on a normal schedule that your followers can anticipate helps to foster customer interaction with your brand.
Of course, running a business doesn't always give you a chance to sit down and craft the perfect post. That's why we recommend using a content calendar to organize future posts. There are a lot of different content calendars you can use, and which social media platform you decide to use will determine the best template.
Once you get accustomed to using a content calendar, you'll find many more benefits beyond just regularly posting. You can begin to compare post engagement, organize which posts did well and which posts didn't, and formulate a strategy to make your social media target your ideal customer in a more meaningful way.
However, this all starts with regularly posting content!
Building Social Media Takes Time
Don't get frustrated if you feel confused or overwhelmed when planning your social media strategy. It takes time to figure out what your customers want to engage with, what a regular posting schedule looks like, or even setting up your social media presence for the first time!
If you're interested in reading more in-depth information about solidifying a brand voice, keeping it consistent, and leveraging it to grow your business, then take a look at this article on how to define a brand voice for maximum impact.
If you aren't sure where to start, let the experts help! We offer a social media audit that will review your current social media presence and will let you know what you do well and where you need to improve. We can even run your social media for you!
Sound good? Contact us and we'll see how we can help your business grow!
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