Common Beginner Mistakes on Social Media

Most business owners see the potential benefits of using social media.

Social networks like Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest have daily traffic in the millions. However, many companies fail to fully capture the value these websites could provide their activity. Being active on social networks takes a lot of effort, time and energy; and many businesses fail to dedicate it.

In this article we detail some common mistakes brands make on social media and some of the methods to avoid them.

1. Constant Sales Pitching

Don’t view social media channels solely as an advertising platform. Irrespective of what your product is, continuously pushing a sales pitch will quickly get people bored or irritated.

Users may indeed follow your social profiles to learn more about the products, but you should offer them a reason to return. Social media is about building a dialogue with your audience and failing to do this will drive users away in the end. Constantly advertising your products is a one-way channel of communication and is a sure way of losing followers.

2. Frequent Posting

Let’s say you post diversified interesting content, which is great and means you are on the right path. However keep in mind, too much of anything can also be bad. Posting too much can at one point start affecting your results negatively. In such case overdoing it will make your audience feel overwhelmed and irritated.

What should you do about it? Provide everything in moderation. Don’t try to exaggerate in your statements and always try to refresh your approach. Keep varying your content format, the topics you touch on and try to engage directly with some of the followers. You can sometimes just share content created by someone else but you consider it might intrigue your audience. Diversification is key here.

3. Low Profile Activity

Going to the other extreme is having low or no activity at all. Some businesses might take a more passive approach and post every now and then something about their product or an advertisement. Social media is supposed to be an active communication channel and low activity will be perceived as a signal of disinterest on your side.

If you are looking for high engagement from your audience, you will have to spark an interest and keep an open channel of communication. In today’s world, social media has become a lynchpin in any marketer’s strategy. Larger companies might hire agencies or social media managers, but small companies should devote time and effort to take care of their social media profiles.

Some things you can do to attract customers include finding popular hashtags and joining the conversation on Instagram. Another example entails making your own videos, and coming up with insights to add to Twitter conversations. Whatever you do, you should always focus on what your audience enjoys, whether it be jokes, photos or your own thoughts.