6 Social Media Mistakes you’re Making and How You Can Fix ‘Em (2021-2022) Guide

Social media can be used to increase brand awareness and reach your target audience. But the pandemic has elevated this tool to an entirely new level.

Social media usage during the pandemic is on the rise. A recent survey found that 72% of respondents claimed their social media usage has increased due to COVID. 43% stated that their postings have also increased.

However, you need to understand that social media is more than being visible on social networks. Social media marketing can be a poor business tool or even harm your brand if you don’t approach it properly.

These are six social media errors companies make that can be avoided. We also have tips and strategies for fixing them.

1. Mistake: The same content is posted across all channels.

While cross-posting–sharing identical content on all your social networks–may save you time, it can make your content appear careless or out-of-place. This is why cross-posting doesn’t work.

• Each platform is different. Different social media platforms are used by different users to meet their specific needs. Users use LinkedIn primarily to build their professional networks, but 66% of Instagram users claim that Instagram is the place they interact with brands.
• Each platform has its own format. Twitter allows tweets to be concise at 280 characters. Instagram, on the other hand, is more visual and allows captions up to 2,200 characters. Buffer also points out that Instagram prefers captions with at most 11 hashtags. Twitter posts perform better without more than two hashtags and Facebook posts work best with no hashtags.
• It is possible to have followers on different platforms. However, consistent messaging can drive results. But the same content becomes boring quickly in the eyes your followers.

Instead, focus on cross promotion. This involves creating one cohesive brand message that is tailored to each platform’s specifications and “language”.

Mistake #2: Your Mind Doesn’t Have a Clear Audience

Christina Newberry, Hootsuite: “Developing a clear understanding your social media target audience might be the most important thing that you do as social media marketers,” says Christina Newberry.

It’s vital to know who you are talking to on social media in order to create relevant and meaningful content.

Research is the key to great content. These are the questions to ask when you research your target niche.

• Which generation is more popular?
• Where are they located in what time zones?
• Which languages are they proficient in, and to what culture do they belong?
• Which purchasing behaviors and spending power do they have?
• What are their hobbies and interests?
• Which other businesses do they interact on a regular base?
• What types of content do they use or share?
• What problems are they facing?
• Which stage in life do they live (i.e., are they students, parents, or retirees?)?

Your answers can be used to build user personas and then craft your posts around these. Done! No need for generic content.

Third Mistake: You don’t have a defined social media strategy

Local and small businesses account for 65% to 75% in search and social media spending on Google and Facebook, and this number is likely to rise beyond 2021. You can’t just throw your content in and hope that it resonates with the right audience with all the brand messages on these networks. No matter how captivating your brand message is, without a plan for adapting it to social media, you will not get the traffic leads or conversions that you want.

A strategy is essential if you want to grow your social media presence. It will help your content stand out and it will also help you.

• You must support your business goals.
• Your brand should target the right audience.
• You can prepare a content calendar ahead of time and save time.
• Stand out from your competitors by creating better content.
• Convert social media leads into sales.

When you are preparing your strategy, ensure that it includes these components:

• You can create content by looking at the needs, priorities, and goals of your customers with detailed buyer personas.
• Clear and simple calls to action (CTAs), that are clear and understandablewill help your audience decide what to do in response to your content. Calls to Action should be compelling and prompt. A CTA tailored to your audience is 202% more persuasive and powerful than an untargeted CTA.
• A landing page optimizedis the first impression that users have when they click on a piece or content. Make sure your branding is consistent across all visuals and copy on social media. Also, ensure that the navigation is mobile-responsive and user-friendly. Unbounce is a platform that helps you manage and optimize landing pages.

Make #4: Your Content is Just So

GoodFirm’s Survey on Unfollowed Brands on Social Media found that 79% of consumers will unfollow business profiles on social media if they don’t like the content, while 67% will unfollow businesses if it becomes irrelevant.

Keep users engaged with your brand by posting high-quality, relevant and engaging posts. Although this sounds like common sense, it can be difficult to create content that is unique from the rest. Here are some steps you can take to keep your content interesting and fresh.

• Encourage collaboration between sales and marketing teams. Sales representatives are likely to know your customers well and can help brainstorm content ideas that resonate with them.
• Get customer feedback and analyze engagement metrics to determine what your target audience would like to see and how they respond.
• Enhance the experience of your content with multimedia elements like videos, animated infographics and polls, quizzes and webinars.
• Create content that is relevant to your industry or brand around current newsworthy events, topics, and trends.

5. Mistake: Social Media is not a sales tool

Social media can be used to generate brand awareness and website traffic. It is especially useful for companies doing business with other companies. LinkedIn is a great channel for B2B companies to search, find, connect, and ultimately sell to other professionals or organisations.

4PSA’s communication experts say it best: “Your Sales team can send marketing messages and pitch emails to key leads while nurturing conversations that convert into clients or customers.” Here are their top tips for increasing sales with LinkedIn.

• Target decision makers. To confirm that the contact is qualified for the job, research their profile.
• Keep an open mind to new connections. Find common interests and affiliations with leads to help you start a conversation. Which professional associations are they a part of? Which companies have they worked in the past? Which is their hometown?
• You can use the search tools to target specific leads. LinkedIn’s advanced search function allows you to find potential leads by narrowing results by location, school attendance, industry categories, and company names.
• One clear and realistic call to action is all that you need. Be realistic and clear with your leads. Make it easy for them, given their busy schedule. If you wish to schedule a 15 minute phone call, attach the scheduling link to your initial message. Instead of waiting until they reply, wait to send it.
• If you do not receive a prompt answer, follow up. If you do not hear back from us within 10-14 days, send a polite and professional follow-up message. Give it about a month, and if necessary, re-initiate contact. This will ensure that you are at the top of your lead’s mind and inbox.

Mistake #6 – You Fatiguing Audiences With Too Much Activity

It’s likely that someone who follows your brand on social networks expects to hear or interact with you on a regular basis. To maximize exposure for your content, it is important to post on a regular basis.

However, there is a fine line between increasing brand recognition and being so active on Social Media that it comes off as self-promotional or just plain annoying. 42% of users will unfollow brands that publish excessive content. Yikes!

You must remind your contacts and connections about your value to ensure that you are able to take up enough space in their minds to secure a deal. The Paperless Agent’s marketing experts point out that you must not ‘fatigue them’ by doing it. To prevent fatigue, marketers who are good at communicating with their audience via multiple channels can help keep them connected.

Social media should not be your only platform for promoting your messages. Cross-promote on other platforms, so that your followers don’t feel overwhelmed by one channel.

• Blog
• Email
• Phone calls
• Text messages
• Videos

Social Media: Make 2022 your strongest year yet on Social Media

You’re not the only one guilty of these mistakes. Like any channel, social media requires time to adapt and constant refinements to become successful. These points will help you to improve your social media skills as you close out 2021 and prepare for next year.

Don’t forget landing pages! These are great ways to gather social media traffic and leads to convert to sales.