I’m a big fan of perceiving failure as learning. So, when I say these are social media marketing mistakes, small businesses make in their social media strategies, I don’t believe that businesses are doing anything wrong. It’s all part of learning how to utilize social media to serve your business. I’ve made these mistakes. And I continue to make many mistakes by learning how to best use social media in a way that serves my business.
Let’s start off with jumping right into trends.
Fear of using trends on social media
Afraid of making reels on Instagram? Think you need to be dancing on TikTok to get your business to work on social media? Feel like you should share every single thought about the business or your industry on Twitter?
Content is king! A great content strategy that brings value to your audience will always trump the most recent trend. As a social media consumer, do you follow someone because of them dancing or do you follow them because they offer value that you resonate with?
That being said, trends can help you if you know how to use trends in a way that is authentic to your business. If dancing doesn’t suite your business, don’t dance. Rather use the reel technology in a way that works for you. For instance, share your ideas in video format using reels. Just because everyone else is using it in a specific way, doesn’t mean you have to use it in that same way. Find your own authenticity using the technology.
Fear of social media
Social media isn’t this big scary thing that controls your business. Yes, we know the Zuck is a slightly intimidating lizard man! We always feel Facebook is listening… 😉
Yet, social media is a great gift and tool. Once you have learned how to work with the tool, and have built confidence in using it, it’s like any other tool that serves your business.
Don’t let the fear of it be bigger than the magic you have to share with the world.
Do not have the right support system and/ or tools to use social media effectively
Not using data
I’m hoping I don’t have to go into this one in detail. Analytics are there to help you. It can inform you to make better decisions when it comes to using social media for business growth.
The key is to look at the data from learning perspective – learn from what your audience likes and create more of that.
Data can also assist you in testing content and trend technologies. It can be useful in the play process – you play around to see what works and what doesn’t.
And sometimes, even when you think you know which posts do better, go look at the analytics, it might be telling you something entirely different. Your own subjectivity might be flooding your perception of what is doing well on social media.
You don’t know how to position yourself on social media
If this sounds like you, you might need to go back to the drawing board and do some brand positioning:
- You are jumping on every audio and dancing trend on Instagram, but not sure how it will help your business (these trends are likely not resonating with your business).
- You are posting about your product yet aren’t seeing any conversions.
- You are doing what everyone else is doing on social media but feeling like you are getting nowhere.
- You feel overwhelmed by social media, and don’t know how you will ever feel confident in using it.
You might need to go back to basics. I see many clients feel like this, and it is often because they don’t know how to position their business or product on social media in a way that reaches their audience.
Go over the business strengths and what makes the business unique. I recommend business reflection (it’s almost like self-reflection) – reflect on the business self. Why did you start the business? What is your vision? What are your values? And start working that into your social media strategy.
No intentional strategy
We don’t have to be geniuses when it comes to create a social media strategy. Strategy doesn’t have to be this buzz word, where you don’t really know what you are doing, but every marketer is shouting that you need a strategy!
Strategy is just a fancy concept for being intentional about your approach on social media. It means that you have a plan that you follow when you post with a specific goal that you are working towards on social media.
Ask yourself:
- Have you created content that ensures your audience has your brand top-of-mind when they think of your business category?
- Do you have a schedule to ensure that you bring that audience consistent content so that your brand is top-of-mind?
- Or are you posting content whenever you feel like?
- Or posting content when you have something to post?
Why have a social media strategy?
- It will make your life easier.
- It will help you to connect with your audience through content that resonates with them.
- It will help you to define a goal to work towards on social media.
- It will help you to be more consistent.
- It will help you to build a community on your social media accounts.
Now go forth, and make the magic happen. Remember, social media is there to serve you. Take the time to learn how to use it for your benefit and you will see how it can serve you.
“There is no failure. Only feedback.” – Robert Allen