5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes That Every Small Business Must Avoid

With over 3.81 billion social media users across the globe, today, social media has the potential to establish a strong, thriving online presence. Consequently, it comes as no surprise that getting on social media is one of the most natural steps taken by small business owners when it comes to online marketing. However, social media marketing for small businesses comes as a double-edged sword, where it has the capacity to build, it also has the capability to stagnate or deter business development and growth! Here are 5 common mistakes to avoid in order to be successful on social media -

1. Not Having A Social Media Strategy -
One of the most common mistakes made by small businesses when it comes to social media marketing is not having an effective strategy in place. It is important to understand that social media marketing is not limited to simply posting information regarding one’s business and products on different platforms at timely intervals. It is a well-planned, strategic process that involves defining business goals, setting marketing objectives, identifying buyer personas, choosing the right platforms, crafting a content strategy, allocating budgets, creating a content bank and tracking analytics periodically. While small businesses may have limited resources in terms of monetary and team strength, this makes it is all the more important to first invest (time) in crafting an effective social media marketing strategy in order to streamline efforts and generate optimum results!

2. Lack Of A Human Touch -
Another mistake made by most small businesses is that they lack a human touch in their marketing and communication strategy. Rather than adapting to a purely commercialized brand voice and tonality which often results in overselling the product or service, small businesses should implement a personalized approach and focus on building connections, establishing trust and nurturing relationships with their audience. These bonds not only guarantee customer loyalty but also foster improved sales. A few ways of doing this are narrating the business’ story, sharing brand values, revealing ‘behind the scenes’ snippets of the team and educating the customers with industry insights. After all, people spend time on social media to be social - not to look out for brand promotions.

3. Not Engaging With The Audience -
Next, many small businesses fail to engage in conversations with their audience - which is essentially a key performance indicator (KPI) of any successful social media marketing plan. Small businesses must make it a point to respond thoughtfully and promptly to every comment, social share, brand mention or query on their social media pages. This engagement is the core of social media for businesses and each interaction is an opportunity to build a new connection, engender trust, boost engagement and foster brand loyalty amongst the customer base.

 

4. Failing to Track Analytics -
The most crucial mistake with respect to social media marketing for small businesses is failing to establish performance metrics and track analytics. Social media platforms provide a unique opportunity for businesses to track their campaigns, advertisements and overall performance in real-time. Some of the common metrics include engagement (likes, comments, shares), impressions, reach and conversions. Since this data helps in understanding what resonates with the audience, customer preferences and changing trends, it provides an invaluable opportunity to optimize marketing efforts! All in all, it helps businesses enhance their social media marketing strategy by facilitating smart and informed business decisions. To learn about some of the top digital marketing tools for small businesses, read this.

5. Neglecting Online Reputation Management -
Lastly, many small businesses are lost when it comes to responding to negative comments or feedback on their pages as a part of social media management. Criticism is in fact an opportunity to understand your customer’s concerns first-hand, improve the quality of your product or service and further build trust within your community. Online reputation management plays a pivotal role in establishing a brand’s identity and growing its business online. As such, it is essential to be radically transparent with your customers, address criticism constructively and accept mistakes, if any. An efficient way to cater to this is by initially engaging with the customer on the thread itself before further resolving their issue privately.

To learn about the top 5 digital marketing strategies to capitalize on during Covid-19, click here.

For further support to grow your business, our team at Parkyd Digital is available and happy to help you. With a deep understanding of the digital marketing landscape and over a decade of industry experience, we offer holistic marketing solutions that are customized according to your requirements to effectively boost your ROI and achieve your business goals. 

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