Social media is one of the best tools to promote your business online. The various platforms give you access to a vast audience, and let you share your content worldwide. Of course, this sharing is done in an organized and well-targeted way. That’s why most companies hire specialized social media managers to get the best out of these platforms. Such talent acquisition strategies can make all the difference in making your business a success.
However, you can’t just put up random posts on social media platforms at your own whim and expect it to work well. You need to have a clear social media plan in place, with a budget allocated for the purpose. In addition, you need to be wary of some common mistakes people make when using social media for marketing purposes. Therefore, it is a good idea to be familiar with some do’s and don’ts, so you can succeed.
Do- Set Clear Goals
The first thing you should do is set clear goals for your social media posts. These include the reach, conversion rate, likes, shares, and comments. You can get all these metrics on the social media platforms you use. Facebook, in particular, gives an extremely incisive analysis of your posts, and lets you determine what your goals should be.
Make sure these are realistic and measurable. Do not expect to get millions of visitors with just a few posts. Instead, bide your time and gradually increase your milestones once you start hitting the initial ones.
Do- Post Consistently
This is key to a successful social media strategy. You need to create a schedule, with the content planned in advance. Make sure you have some uniformity in design, and decide on a colour scheme. This will make your social media posts look consistent, and help viewers identify your posts immediately.
It’s a good idea to have different themes for different days of the week, so that you can get your posts ready well in advance.
Do- Use Social Media Advertising
This is one of the best aspects of social media for companies. With conventional marketing such as billboards and brochures, you can’t really gauge what returns you will get. However, with social media marketing, you have an in-depth look into every metric.
Furthermore, social media platforms also have excellent targeting mechanisms, so you won’t be wasting your budget on viewers who might not be interested. You can target ads by age, gender, interests, location, and all sorts of demographics. In addition, you can even decide whether you want more leads, customer engagement, or clicks.
Do- Share Appealing Content
This should go without saying, and you cannot emphasize this enough. If you send your social media budget on dull posts, it’s no use. Think what your audience likes and responds to, and create your posts accordingly.
They should include valuable information which people actually want, and should have some prompts which encourage visitors to engage with your website.
Don’t- Post Too Frequently
If you just flood people’s feeds with your posts, they will get annoyed and might make your posts invisible to them. In addition, if you post too frequently, none of your posts will have enough time to gain traction and get results.Therefore, post consistently, and do not overdo it.
Don’t- Use the Same Strategy Everywhere
You cannot use the same methods across your social media platforms. Each one has its own nuances and methodology. Therefore, you should do your research on what works best for each one you use, and work accordingly.
Furthermore, if a platform does not make sense for your company, don’t use it. Also pay attention to the different image dimensions on each platform.
Don’t- Use Clickbait Tactics
Do not resort to cheap tricks like clickbait tactics. These might work for one or two posts, but after that your visitors won’t trust your word. This can be a fatal flaw for a business, as customer trust should be a top priority. Do not mislead your potential customers in any way. Using appealing language does not mean you can make huge claims which your business can’t realistically meet.
Don’t- Prefer Quantity Over Quality
If you’re looking at data, do not obsess over it. Many companies resort to using bots to increase their social media following and comments. These bots and paid followers have become a bane for social media strategies.
Furthermore, even if they increase your following immensely, it does not lead to benefits in the long run. You need genuine followers who will use your business. So, follow these do’s and don’ts in your social media activity, and you can get the best out of this very lucrative medium.
Norah is a food and sports lover. She likes to do yoga and body weight exercises. She completed her high school and doing college in Amsterdam.