There are lots of mistakes being made on social media by businesses and here are 10 Social Media Marketing Mistakes you should avoid.

 

1. Not having a plan or strategy

 

 

Are you lost? Less than 20 percent of businesses say that their social media strategy is working.  Social media users are inundated with information every second of the day.  So what is the problem?

 

Creating a strategy includes having distinct and measurable goals, developing including a clear social media policy, thinking through a brand’s so voice, and implementing a content calendar with end goals in mind. It is referred to your “Major Definite Purpose in Life”

Without a clear strategy, businesses could create the best content on the web, but receive little to no engagement.

 We strive for engagement.

 

2. Not using Images

 

 

 

Images on twitter cause tweets to take up more space on the feed and help drive engagement. Tweets that include an image have 200 percent more engagement than tweets without images.

While an image may not be appropriate for every tweet, businesses should include one whenever possible to help draw attention to their message.

Photos are the primary type of content posted and shared on Facebook. According to March 2014 research published on eMarketer, photos accounted for 75% of content posted by Facebook pages worldwide.

 

3. Not taking advantage of hashtags

 

Although this may sound simple, hashtags are a great way for businesses to insert themselves into conversations and trending topics that make sense, while also double engagement.

 

4. Not Using a Consistent Voice

 

 

 

 

5.  Not utilizing images or using the wrong size image 

 

 

Visual stimulation helps drive engagement on social networks. In fact, 40 percent  of people respond better to visual information than plain text according to Zabisco. This is a no brainer.

What do you visualize?

Do images grab your attention?  If they do, it is obvious to assume that images grab the attention of others.

On average, photos get 50 percent more impressions than any other post type on Facebook, while also gathering more likes and comments according to study to roost.

 

6.  Not Utilizing Google Plus

 

Google Plus may be the most underutilized social media platform today. It is directly integrated with Google search results, making profiles an integral part of any digital marketing or search engine optimization strategy.

 

 7  Not Utilizing Circles or Communities

 

 

Circles on Google Plus allow businesses to segment followers into groups and address each segment separately with unique content. If circles aren’t utilized, each piece of content goes to every single follower.

 

To increase conversion rates and engagement, instead of pushing content to everyone, businesses should create content that appeals to specific audiences and then post that content to the applicable circles and communities.

 

8.  Not Using Pinterest

 

 

Pinning images to Pinterest is simply not enough if businesses want to use the social media site to drive traffic and increase sales. Despite easy access, many businesses are forgoing the use of rich pins, which include a thorough description of the item and the price.

 

Descriptions should use terms that people search for and be as descriptive as possible and including the price entices pinners to click the link. In fact, a study from Shopify found that rich pins with prices get 36 percent more likes and repins than regular pins.

 

Businesses should strive to make it as easy as possible for shoppers to go from browsing Pinterest to buying a product. In order to do that, businesses should link directly to product pages instead of home pages or other non-related content. The more links and moves a consumer has to make before buying a product, the less likely they are to make a final purchase.

 9.  Not using hashtags effectively with Instagram

 

 

There is no limit to the number of hashtags a business can attach to a post and for some that freedom has led to an overuse of this normally effective outreach tool.

 

Hashtags allow people to filter through the millions of posts every day, and it’s very tempting for businesses to try and wedge their way into conversations where they don’t organically belong by using hashtags.

 

But, just like traditional marketing outlets such as email, traditional mail and phone calls, spam can turn off consumers. Instead, businesses should only use hashtags that directly apply to the post or the company.

 

10.  Not Providing Content Users Demand

 

 

Many businesses decide to use Instagram as another way to push static ads that could be posted on any other platform. However, Instagram is best used when businesses give consumers a behind-the-scenes look at what is going on and give insight into the personality of the brand.

 

Here are a few other things you might consider that are also social media strategy mistakes to avoid:

 

1.  Are you talking to much and not listening enough?

2.  Do you air bad feelings or rant?

3.  Are you doing to much self-promotion?

4.  Are you making your posts/tweets relevant?

5.  Are you mixing your personal profile with your business profile?

6.  Are you engaging with your audience?

 

Those questions were absolutely “food for thought”.  I’m sure we have all been guilty at some point.

 

I trust that you received value from this post “10 Social Media Marketing Mistakes To Void” so feel free to leave me a comment and share with others.

 

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