10 Things Your Business Could Be Doing Wrong On Social Media

Here are ten ways to get social media wrong:

1) Lack of Strategy

A recent report conducted on a diverse mix of British businesses revealed that over two thirds implement social media into their organisations, but alarmingly one third still don’t have a plan in place. Social media will not be automatically integrated with your company’s overall marketing campaign. To avoid wasting valuable time and energy you need to set your objectives, know your target audience and how to reach them, as well as how to measure the success of a social media campaign.

2) Great expectations

 

Do not expect immediate results and a flood of cash just because you ‘do social media’. This process requires consistency and hard work. Even better stop treating social media as a process but rather start seeing it as an organism. If you set realistic goals which are aligned to your business strategy you can keep it alive and see it growing.

3) This is not our priority

 

This is usually a mix of ignorance and arrogance. It is surprising how many business owners misinterpret social media as distractions, silly networks and apps that only teenagers use. It is all just a passing fad right? This was the main argument presented by business owners at the dawn of the World Wide Web as well.

4) Anyone can do it

 

You wouldn’t hand the keys of your car to someone not ready to drive. Then why hand the keys of your company’s marketing success to someone who doesn’t know what to do with them? There are thousands of cases of companies’ posts and tweets gone wrong, all courtesy of staff members who simply didn't know what they were doing. Always ensure that your authorized social media users are properly trained. Perhaps it is safer to start from the “alphabet” of social media as well; Hashtags, @ replies, tagging etc. are not necessarily easy or intuitive.

5) Social media is our broadcasting tool

 

Yes it is. But it is also a conversation starter. Every social network has an element of feedback and dialogue built into it; this why it is called social at the first place. Do not tire your audience by constantly beaming out messages, instead, focus on interaction.

6) I will post something in a couple of weeks

 

Companies often get all amped up about their shiny new Facebook page, but then a couple of weeks later have already forgotten to update it. If you don’t want your social media pages to turn into Post Ghostdowns better come up with a content strategy.  Embrace social media as part of your business and set aside 10-20 minutes every day to work on it. It is a worth-while investment and the only way to create the desired engagement.

7) I will get back to you. One day.

The purpose of social media is to communicate in real time. However, on a report conducted by the Social media marketing and measurement firm Socialbakers, it was found that brands are ignoring 70% of fan comments. When they do respond it typically takes them a full 24 hours on average… Not ideal.

8) Oops I said it again

 

“It takes a lifetime to build a good reputation, but you can lose it in a minute” Will Rogers would say.  Or just an embarrassing tweet, we would add. There is a vast range of examples here but some are more memorable than others. For instance, Gap seemed to encourage those impacted by the Hurricane Sandy last year to do some online shopping. It was not the brightest idea nevertheless the company took down the tweet and offered a semi-apology.

9) Sorry for being boring

 

Corporations who have no voice, do their best to be politically correct and don’t have a story to say areboring. Don’t be afraid to have some fun and put behind the wheel employees with strong people skills.

10) This is professional. Strictly professional.

 

Somehow when corporations enter the digital space, forget that behind every little avatar is a real person who deserves to be acknowledged. We’ve created this digital divide and fail to connect in a meaningful way. Treat people the way you would treat them in real life. Be human. Make friends. But remember; everything you say, no matter how casually you say it, becomes part of your image and your brand.