4 Social Media Blunders You May Already Be Guilty Of

We’ve all seen it happen – epic, offensive tweets or Facebook posts mistakenly sent by companies. Misspellings, or bad timing in the release of a digital marketing campaign. Major businesses with millions of eyes on their every move do it often – typically due to poor planning and/or inattentive social management.

A company could already have a solid social strategy, but one wrong step can cost them fortunes. Take for instance a tweet from KitchenAid during the Presidential Inauguration.

This tweet, intended for a personal account, mistakenly was shared in the brand’s feed – sent out to an audience of 46,000. An error of epic proportions.

But did you think that you could be making simple errors every single day in your social media marketing? Even the smallest missteps can result in turning off your potential customers and a loss of business.

There’s a lot to be cautious of in terms of tweets, posts, and content; but for our team, here are the top 4 no-no’s in social media marketing.

1.) Over-selling

If you’re putting 100% of your efforts on social into selling and promoting your own deals, you’re making a mistake. Think about it: you’re home, on a Thursday night watching TV, relaxing, skipping through your Facebook feed, and you’re seeing posts from your friends, family, and pages that you like. What are you most likely to like & comment on? Unique, fun images & questions? Or an endless string of commercials?

Seeing back to back posts about the same sales event, especially if you’re not in the market to buy something, can be a total turn off.

It’s important to avoid letting your page and your information become spam. Granted – there is a time to sell. But keep in mind that your content mix is just that – a MIX. A balance of self-promotion (sales, events, deals), fun engaging photos, community-related information, customer and employee highlights, relevant industry news, and more.

You want to keep it interesting. Remember that not ALL of your fans are looking to buy at this very moment. Some of them may be on the hunt for specials – some may have just made a purchase – some may be just slightly interested, or know someone who purchased from you in the past.

You want to keep everyone’s attention and not turn anyone off – it’s a tough job, but with the right balance of content, it can be done!

So, let your content do the selling for you – selling your brand, selling your voice, selling your atmosphere – and in turn, it will sell your products and services.

2.) Talking AT Your Audience

The better you resonate with your audience, the better your chances are of selling.

The point of social overall is to establish a community. That’s what we do at Stream as social media marketers – we work hard to cultivate an audience that is relevant, interested, and likely to patronize your services. So, in turn, treat your fans and customers like friends and get a conversation going!

Use social as an opportunity to get feedback, opinions, reviews, and find out what your customers really want. Break down the wall and make it a one-on-one experience.

Talking at your audience with flyers and impersonal, generic images won’t make them feel special, and it certainly won’t get them talking or sharing.

3.) Being Inconsistent

Look – if you’re gonna be there, be ALL the way there. When a user has a question – answer it. When a customer has an issue – help resolve it. Show that you’re giving social 100%, like you give 100% to any other part of your business.

Remember, this is an online representation of your company. Being available and corresponding with your fans within a reasonable time frame is only fair and shows that you’re available, on and offline.

4.) Not Sharing the Love

Give back to your fans! They deserve it. Provide them with an incentive to engage with your page and your business, and in turn they’ll spread the word.

This could be anything from coupons and deals, exclusively for liking your Facebook; or retweeting a tweet, to a social-only promotion for a chance to win a prize. It’s that simple. Show them that you’re paying attention and respect their support.

Remember that there’s a lot to take into consideration when taking your business on social media.

You want to start with a strategy and stick with it. Just like any diet – it takes hard work and time to see results. Your fans aren’t going to appear overnight, and more so, they’re not going to engage with everything you have to say. Trust the process.

The way you present yourself on social media speaks volumes – more than any amazing deal or sales event you talk about. Make your fans comfortable and they’ll come to you when it’s time to buy.