The 7 Deadly Sins of a Tragic Social Media Strategy

Like it or not, social media exists and is a necessary part of your digital marketing strategy. By using and taking advantage of social media marketing, you can keep your brand top of mind and regularly engage new customers.

However, if you don’t have a solid social media strategy, your time and effort might not pay off. To ensure that your social media strategy is as effective as possible, avoid making these seven common mistakes:

 

1) No Social Media Plan or Strategy

Being active on social media without following a solid plan can certainly hinder your success. If you don’t know where you want to end up or how you’re going to get there, your social media efforts won’t be able to help you accomplish specific goals. Use these starter tips to develop a social media strategy that will drive results:

• Choose 2-3 social media goals or objectives to achieve.
• Conduct research to determine what social media channels and resources you will need to achieve these goals.
• Assemble a competent team dedicated to executing the plan.
• Create or improve your social media accounts.
• Develop an editorial calendar for each social media account.
• Post away and engage with others on social media!

 

2) Silence

If you launch a social media presence, you must keep feeding it. Log in often and post regularly. How often is regularly? At least once a day on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, and even more often on Twitter. Also, don’t forget to comment on your followers’ posts so they know you’re active online and actually listening to what they’re saying.

 

3) Offending Users

A fine line exists between edgy and offensive, and users will interpret your media presence in many ways. Never post anything that is suggestive, racy, pornographic or derogatory. You can avoid this by having at least two social media team members, preferably from different demographic groups, check your posts before they are published.

 

4) Wasting Users’ Time

Just as nobody likes getting six emails a day, nobody will bother with reading three or four Twitter comments a day if they are meaningless. When you have something to say, say it with the intent of helping or educating your followers.

 

5) Bad Linking

Avoid automated linking and always check links that appear in your social media posts. You will look like a spammy site if every post includes a link for every other word. Instead, select key phrases and use links sparingly.

 

6) Ignoring Feedback

Users are often vocal; every response needs to be swift and written as if you were smiling when you posted it. Keep up with threads so users know you are monitoring them and providing positive responses.

 

7) Stepping on Toes

Triple-check your hashtags to avoid copying existing trends. It would be really unfortunate if you used a hashtag that is already being exploited for other purposes, as when DiGiorno Pizza accidentally used the anti-domestic violence hashtag #WhyIStayed to promote pizza. It’s far better to research ahead of posting than to write, as DiGiorno had to, “A million apologies. Did not read what the hashtag was about before posting”.

If you’re interested in learning about more social media best practices, consider pursuing a degree in social media marketing. At Media Schools, we offer an exciting social media marketing program that will give you the knowledge and experience you need to master the world of social media. Contact us today to see how you can get started in a career using social media strategies, digital sales tools and more.