We've talked about some things that you have learned about your business presence on social media platforms. With lots of great "to do's", it begs to ask, is there anything off limits? Well, yea! Here are some common mistakes to avoid when building your social media presence. Oh. Yes. These mistakes have been made by others, so they are - tried and true.
Using the same strategy on every site:: Every social networking site is different in its purpose and ultimately in how you should use it to promote your business brand. Because of these differences, you should create a different strategy for each site you decide to engage in. Your strategy should be customized to that each site’s specific rules and code of conduct. Running a one-size-fits-all approach will limit your ability to be successful anywhere.
Fake Friending/Following/Linking:: aka Social Media Dilution. You are selective and discreet in who you allow into your professional network. In the best case scenerio of an effective networking event, there are a select number of contacts that do (and should) leave the event with your contact information. This same practice should be exercised on the social media sites. Rock solid, quality relationships take precedent over meaningless accumulation of sheer quantity. Seek out the people who will be most vocal about you- those are your ambassadors. Then, reciprocity becomes the order for the day. Help them. Connect with them. Build real relationships. Put them in front of individuals/businesses/situations that will be advantageous to their business brand. This is how social media becomes powerful. The reality of fake Friending/Following/Linking aren’t going to click your links, visit your site, purchase your products, or sing your business/brand praises. They actually won’t do anything for you. Be choosy with your online relationships. It's your business.
Creating profiles everywhere:: claiming your username for the purpose of instantly securing your brand across social media sites is a definite 'do'. Setting up a profile account on every social media community is a marketing strategy faux pas, not to mention, a total waste of your time. Your business/brand presence should be front and center in the arenas where your users spend their time and energy, where they’re interacting most, and where your business brand will be most embraced. Your visibility on these target sites will help to focus your efforts.
Not completing your profile:: a completed profile says that you are an active member of the community who is committed and genuinely become part of that network. A completed profile helps you attract like-minded businesses/members and gain some easy trust points- by letting those in the network that you are here to stay. Tell and show people who you are. Yes, social media is where your customers are, but you have to give them a reason to want to engage with you. Put yourself out there in order to benefit from real conversations down the road.
Selling to everyone, immediately:: people are more likely to purchase from those that they know and trust. If you immediately arrive into a social media community and start selling, no one is going to listen. You’re going to be ruled a spammer and you’ll not only receive a negative response, but you run the risk of permanently damaging your brand. Although direct marketing in social media communities is not impossible, to do so means that you have taken the time to learn about the community, to 'meet' the people and only offer your products/services when it makes sense.Most people do not want to be sold to. Take the time to build trusting, reciprocal relationships.
Not measuring it:: before you get into social media, know why you’re there and what you plan to get out of it. What are you looking for? Increased buzz over a product? Better brand awareness? Blog subscribers? Traffic? How are you going to measure these goals? Whatever your metrics are, make sure you’ve identified them before you throw money into programs you’re not tracking.
These are just a few that I've seen. What faux pas have you seen? Let's talk about it....
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