I recently gave a presentation on social media at the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce. Due to the response I got and considering the amount of work that went into putting the presentation together, I thought others might find this information useful as a blog. Since it’s a bit long, I’m going to split this into three parts.
Without further ado, here are 8 Mistakes Businesses Make on Social Media.
- They take the “social” out of social media.
Many companies, particularly small businesses, tend to be guilty of using social media like a bullhorn. They’re uninterested in what other people have to say and only communicate in order to spread their message. However, social media is not meant to be a monologue; it’s meant to be a conversation. You want to engage with people and respond to tweets and Facebook comments. If you do this, you’re more likely to build brand loyalty and gain a larger following.
*Click to Enlarge- They create low-quality content.
A lot of businesses want to use social media to generate leads, which is all well and good, but you’re going to have a hard time generating website visits if your posts don’t drive people to your website. It doesn’t have to be revolutionary, but you should be posting things people find funny, interesting, informative or otherwise entertaining.
- They don’t listen to their customers.
Nobody wants negative feedback on social media, but it comes with the territory, unfortunately. Shying away from criticism may be the knee-jerk reaction, but it’s not the best response. Instead, you should listen to your customers and respond appropriately. However, it is also important to be helpful and to try to take the conversation off social media, whether that means directing them to a customer service rep, a phone number or other website.
Stay tuned for Part 2 so you can avoid these common mistakes and maximize your social media strategies.