Social Media Tactics Your Business Should Avoid

09 Sep Social Media Tactics Your Business Should Avoid

Good social media management can be one of the most valuable assets in increasing web presence and executing successful online marketing campaigns. You can use social media to drive sales, build a community, and communicate directly with clients or customers. Even Google, which owns 60 to 75% of the booming search engine market, might start taking social media signals into account.

But it’s not all rainbow and butterfly emojis in the world of social media. In fact, poor social media management has led to more than a few highly publicized falls from grace from the smallest businesses to the largest corporations.

So what should you avoid when it comes to social media management?

Spamming Your Followers
It may seem like common sense to put your message out there as frequently as possible, but for every person who follows your millionth link to your site and buys a product, there will be dozens who click that dreaded unfollow button to keep you from clogging up their news feed. This is especially irritating on sites like twitter where followers can’t exactly opt out of certain notifications.

Remember, quality is far more important than quantity when it comes to social media, and the old sales pitches and “buy now” gimmicks usually won’t work here. Avoid putting statuses on loop, don’t send automated personal messages, and focus on saying something worthwhile. Comment on current events, link to blog posts about the industry, provide useful advice to your followers and, most importantly, keep it personal. No one wants to follow a bot, unless it’s NASA’s Curiosity Rover.

Going in Without a Plan
Many small business owners opt out of professional social media management and start tweeting and posting without a plan, simply because they’ve been told they need social media to get visibility on the web. But just like any other business venture, it’s important to feel out the territory before you leap in.

Look at what other people in your industry are doing, and what’s making them successful. Tailor your approach differently for the diverse users of each social media platform. Look into tools that will help you organize your accounts and decide what you want to get out of your social media accounts.

Maintaining a Bad Persona
The biggest mistake you can make is deciding on a bad persona, or online voice. Avoid controversial topics and keep the tone light. You can even be playful if it suits your business, but avoid joking at someone else’s expense and remain open and approachable at all times.

If you’re not sure how to strike the right tone, plan a campaign, or advertise without spamming consider hiring a social media professional to help you reach your customers in the best way possible.