There are over 2.3 billion active Social Media users (Brandwatch) and 80% of them prefer to connect with brands through Facebook (Hubspot).
While Social Media has taken the world by storm, many business owners (and even marketing companies) find it difficult to understand how the marketing paradigm has changed. They pay lip service to the idea of inbound vs. outbound marketing, but still struggle to harness the expanding power of Social Media Marketing.
Some businesses owners have decided to bury their heads in the sand. They ignore the phenomenon altogether, and hope it goes away. Even as it becomes obvious that traditional marketing tactics are becoming less and less effective with today’s consumer. These folks are missing out on sales opportunities.
However, it is the businesses that have jumped aboard the “Social Media Express” without a clear understanding of how it works that are losing the most. They are missing sales opportunities and may be sending potential customers to their competitors. They are wasting time and money.
Here are a few ways to fail at Social Media Marketing:
- Hiring someone to build a Facebook Page (or building it yourself) and post intermittently (less than once a day) — A waste of time if you are doing it, and a waste of money if you are paying someone. Facebook has said that inconsistent posts only make it to a miniscule number of people.
- Hiring a company that provides “canned” content. One of the best ways to annoy your audience is to post content that is not authentic or original. Content that does not offer insights into you and your company. A waste of money. Facebook’s algorithm, as well as Google’s, takes a dim view of canned content.
- Filling your news feed with nothing but promotional posts. No one wants to open a Facebook Page that is nothing but a giant billboard Waste of time. Facebook has stated categorically that they ignore promotional posts.
- Ignoring the power of Facebook’s versatile advertising programs. Wasted opportunities Facebook offers one of the best (and least expensive) advertising opportunities available.
If you recognize yourself in any of the above, my strong advice is…
DELETE YOUR ACCOUNT
You are probably spending too much time and/or too much money on a marketing strategy that is not providing you with more customers, and may be doing damage to your brand in the eyes of anyone who stumbles upon your Page.
However, if you want to take full advantage of a strong social media presence and reap the promised rewards, consider hiring a marketing agency that understands the social media landscape and will work with you to develop a customized plan built around your goals. A plan that will make your Social Media accounts work as hard for you as you work for your business.
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