Social Media Tools: You're Doing it Wrong

Social media strategies are one of the most popular marketing techniques in 2014, but more often than not businesses just aren’t doing it right. Whether you’re a social media newbie or a veteran, there are definitely some things you need to know in order to make your online presence count.

Here are a few ways in which small and large businesses alike are getting social media all wrong:

Not Responding in Social Media

…To the good and the bad. You need to acknowledge when someone Tweets you or posts a message to your board because it shows that you’re genuinely interested in the customer experience from start to finish. Businesses joining social media sites aren’t really participating until they create consistent engagement with their followers. If you’re not responding to their praise and critiques, who will?

Forbes recently reported that 71% of consumers that receive a quick response from a brand claim to be likely to recommend that brand. This means that regardless of the nature of the comment, you should always strive to address concerns fairly quickly because not only does it mean a lot to that customer, it shows your audience that you’re on top of it. Those firms that prefer to hide behind social media platforms are definitely doing it wrong.

Too much or too little time

…Spent on social media sites can be devastating. You can either obsess over what you should “Like” and how often you should make a post, leading to forgoing all other business duties, or you can completely forget your target audience, the ultimate faux pas. It’s easy to want to keep up and maintain great response times, but overanalyzing everything can be all consuming. Setting aside times in the day to post, engage, and evaluate is the best way to avoid the increasing demand. Another idea is to take advantage of scheduling update apps like HootSuite, which simply post what you want when you want.

On the other end of the spectrum, of course, is spending too little time, which again, leads to missed opportunities to connect with your audience. We suggest penciling in time to manage your accounts, and even assigning people per platform to spread out the responsibility. Those brands who have 2,500 followers with absolutely no posts are definitely doing it wrong.

Not giving

…Your followers a good reason to, well, follow! Imagine following a restaurant on Facebook: No one wants to only read about their weekly specials everyday; they want something of value. Provide your loyal fans with tips on how to snag the best seat in the house, or quick pictures of the newest beer you’re getting on draft. Don’t simply tell them something they can look up, but rather entice them with something that makes them feel special for following you.

Businesses should make their brand approachable with social media, like they’re friends with followers, not trying to sell to them. And what’s more friendly than sharing tidbits that other customers have no idea about? If you’re not making your social media interactions valuable, then you’re definitely doing it wrong.

The point of businesses on social media is to engage with clients and potential customers, and if you’re not keeping up you’re losing out on some great opportunities. Take advantage of this list, form a new approach to social media, and watch your online presence flourish.

For additional tips on using social media tools in your business, check out our post titled: Social Media Hacks to Boost Your Business.

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