
Are you making your Social Media ROI? For a small business owner one of the most important areas of marketing is social media. Social media marketing can make a break or break the success of any entrepreneur. In this information age it has become very easy for individuals with a unique message, product, or service to get it out to the masses. The biggest issue for most new small business owners is how to get a handle of marketing on social media. The biggest danger is social media being the only marketing strategy for your business. With that being said what if it truly is and your marketing has been ineffective in generating profits for your business? In my observations, my own experience, and with clients I have found a thread of four common mistakes I have run across. In this post I hope to provide solutions for those who feel overwhelmed or stuck in this matrix called social media.
Mistake # 1 Poor Research- There are four main social media sites that everyone feels you must have a profile on; Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+. So most new entrepreneurs created a page or profile on all of these platforms. The question is do you need a profile on all 4 to be successful on social media? This is where your research should come in. Should you be investing time in this platform?
Solution: Do your research on your target market. Find out where they congregate most often on social media. So you can effectively target them on their preferred platforms. Why waste time if your target market doesn’t come across your marketing on this platform. What type of marketing gains the most attention by users on that platform? Find the answer to that question as well.
Mistake # 2 Lack of Strategy- If your research is poor on your target market’s preferences on social media there is a chance your strategy might be way off base as well. You can’t climb to the top on the wrong ladder. Has strategy been properly written out and planned? Being active doesn’t always translate to productivity on social media. If you are posting a bit too much your target market can be turned off. It’s not always about quantity as quality usually serves best.
Solution: A vision of what you want you to want to accomplish with your social media strategy must be created. It must be measurable so you can tell if your marketing has been effective. You must have short term and long term goals for your strategy plans.
Mistake # 3 Not enough consistency across platforms- Too many social media platforms to maintain can create a sense of being overwhelmed. As for your brand you need to remain as consistent as possible across the board to accomplish your marketing goals. So you can’t be consistent on only one platform and fall short on the rest. That is especially if your target market doesn’t generate enough business for you on the one platform you are consistent.
Solution: Narrow your social media marketing focus to the two or three platforms where your marketing efforts will be most fruitful. Also you could create a frequency chart or have some type of reminder that can help you monitor your efforts. Document days you don’t accomplish your objectives and your distractions.
Mistake # 4 No Relationship Building- The successful online marketers capitalize on their relationships. Many individuals are online marketing themselves, products, and services but have forget the lost art of connection. Rather than connecting with individuals on social media platforms many individuals are making the mistake of not building relationships with others. Consumers buy products and services from brands they like and trust so selling can be fruitless if you aren’t connecting with your consumers.
Solution: Invest more time online building relationships whether answering questions, posing questions on different platforms or directly reaching out to individuals. Spend time interacting on your Facebook Fan Page, in your LinkedIn Groups, or a Google Hangout. Add value you to others without compensation the Law of Reciprocity let’s you know you will get it back one day.
Are you making any of these mistakes right now? Did you find my solutions helpful? Please do comment and share.
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