There is no doubt that the Internet is flooded with marketing content and advertising these days. With all the space for businesses of any size to market and advertise through business accounts and pages, it would be a shame not to take the opportunity to post content, articles, and promotions all day long, right? As a business owner or marketing professional, you are no doubt left with the task of figuring out exactly how to market your business to your social media audience. Despite how easy it may seem to post through different online platforms, it’s important to note that you can still make big mistakes that can do more harm than good to your business. Here are some actions to avoid when marketing your business through social media.
On Twitter
Avoid: Posting too many tweets in a day.
Twitter is an easy platform to get lost in lots of information. It’s tempting for marketers to continuously post marketing content or promotional material through a company Twitter handle all day long. After all, tweets can get lost in feeds and disappear forever if they aren’t seen immediately. However, you want to avoid the trap of repetitive posting. Instead, be strategic about scheduling your tweets—maybe three per day. Make your tweets professional and informative. Spend some time at the beginning and end of each day and strategically retweet something from an industry leader you follow. Make sure that your followers are gaining something from seeing your tweets in their feeds, and not just feeling annoyance because you bombard Twitter all day with marketing tweets.
On Facebook
Avoid: Reposting or sharing clickbait articles, or posting irrelevant information.
It’s tempting to repost an article or meme that is getting a lot of attention onto your business page. After all, you want followers, likes, and clicks, right? The problem arises when your page becomes a promoter of spam. Anyone who is serious about following your page is doing it because they are interested in your product or service, and he or she may be a current customer, or someone who can become a customer one day. You want to make sure that you are only posting relevant material to your industry, brand, and product, and that you aren’t turning off your real customers by clogging their feeds with tacky spam articles. Authenticity is what will set you apart. It’s important to maintain your brand and only offer content that will engage your target audience.
On Instagram
Avoid: Over-hashtagging.
If you are using Instagram to promote your brand or product, make sure you aren’t over-hashtagging your photos by using spam tags like #likesforlikes, #followsforfollows, or #sexywoman, only for the attention. Anyone who is serious about your brand will find this to be desperate and distracting. You want to make sure that you are only using hashtags that are relevant to your photo and brand. Again, you are trying to attract serious potential clients, so make sure that your photos are tastefully tagged with brand-appropriate mentions.
On SnapChat
Avoid: Posting anything inappropriate or derogatory.
Yes, it’s true that SnapChat photos and videos disappear within 24 hours, but that does not mean that you should be posting anything just to get attention. What you post on SnapChat still matters, and especially with regards to a business page. SnapChat can be a place to post more personal content, such as a behind-the-scenes “teaser” video of your brand, but it’s not the place to post anything as a joke that could be offensive. You do not want your brand associated with a low-level SnapChat scandal.
On LinkedIn
Avoid: Posting any personal content or overly opinionated articles.
People use LinkedIn as a professional networking site. This is not the place to post any personal photos or opinions, or anything negative about your competitors. If you choose to post as a business or business owner on LinkedIn, make sure your posts are creating value for your connections, either by offering industry information or original content. Avoid posting anything overly political or opinionated. People use the site to obtain business-related advice and information, and you may turn-off potential clients and partners if you post content containing negative information.
Social media marketing requires a very strategic game plan for each specific network. If you are looking for ways to improve your social media marketing efforts,
contact us at Miss Ink. We can help you figure out the best way to market your business on each individual platform.
References:
Ahmad, I. (2017, June 16). 6 Social Media Behaviors to Avoid in 2017 [Infographic]. Retrieved June 16, 2017, from http://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-business/6-social-media-behaviors-avoid-2017-infographic?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue%3A 2017-06-16 Social Media Today Newsletter %5Bissue%3A10791%5D&utm_term=Social Media Today
Agrawal, A. (2017, February 21). 10 Social Media Mistakes That Are Killing Your Business. Retrieved June 16, 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajagrawal/2017/02/18/10-social-media-mistakes-that-are-killing-your-business/#5105b22d76b0
