Social Media is no doubt an increasingly important aspect of consumers everyday lives. Therefore, it is import for brands to utilise their audience to promote their brand in the most effective way possible. The difference between doing social media well and failing to do so could mean gaining an edge on the competition and being the first port of call for their needs.

Social Media is also a great way to start a long-term relationship with the consumer by creating opportunities for engagement.  This could lead to increased website traffic, sales, retention and many more.

One of the biggest pitfalls to social media marketing that many businesses don’t realise is being too active. Oversharing by tweeting or posting hundreds of times a day is a fast way of losing your followers interest or losing them altogether. Brands who constantly bombard their followers with content whether relevant or not, will soon annoy their readers and the brand message will be lost altogether.

The key to the most effective content is down to careful planning and only posting what is necessary to your audience. There are many ways this can be successfully done through producing engaging content such as competitions, newsworthy success stories etc. The aim is to add value to your followers through leading content.

The Tweeting Salesman

The tweeting salesman is constantly pitching to your audience. This is a common mistake many businesses are guilty of doing. Social media users can easily become irritated by companies who they feel are constantly selling to them. Occasional sales pitch posts are usually expected by people. However, once they have followed you, they are most likely aware of you so don’t need constantly reminding of your brand message. The main aim of your brand should be for people to become fans of your brand. Therefore, content needs to be relevant to your target audience and either educate, inspire or amuse them.

No Tone of Voice

Similarly, using social media isn’t just about what you say but also how you say just like in a face to face sales pitch. If you’re using your platform to attract new business, it’s important to have a human element to your social media voice and not to give off a robotic regurgitation of the same material. Give your brand an online personality that reflects your values and know how to read your audience. Think what you would want to see from the customer’s point of view. How you interact with people online should reflect how you would in person.

Neglect

To keep up with the demands of social media, your approach needs to be taken seriously. Regularly maintaining and updating your platform is key to increasing awareness, engagement and keeping followers informed and up to date with your key messages. Potential customers visiting your platforms will make a quick decision whether to investigate your brand further. If they see you haven’t posted in a few months or weeks they will assume you’re inactive and will lose their interest.

Neglect comes into how you respond to your followers. Neglecting to reply to your followers or interact will potentially damage your brand’s perception. Social media means being social with your followers – having a 2-way conversation opens the communication channel between you and the consumer.

Some brands you see using Twitter commonly sign off tweets and posts with their name. This is an attempt to add a more human element to the brand’s social media. However, it’s important to make sure when interacting with your audience directly or in a post to be consistent in your tone of voice. This again involves reading the situation and depending on the context. You want the message to represent your brand values.

Here at Get Your Mobi we can help you with your social media marketing. For more details, get in contact with us.