It’s no secret that social media is the one of the most effective tools for growing your business’s following, but that doesn’t mean it’s easily done. Knowing what you’re doing wrong is usually even more valuable than knowing what you’re doing right, so here are 5 reasons social media is not working for you. REWORK
1. You’re not using it consistently.
Regardless of how often you choose to use social media, consistency is key. Whether you decide to post twice a week or five times a week, establish a schedule, and stick to it. Going a week without posting and then posting 5 times in one day diminishes the effectiveness of your posts and ultimately, can irritate your audience. Consider using tools like Hootsuite or Latergramme to schedule and manage social media posts and avoid inconsistency.
2. You’re spreading yourself too thin.
It’s important to be present on a variety of social media platforms, but trying to tackle too many at once can render them all ineffective. It’s better to have a couple well-run, engaging social media channels than several poorly-run ones. Determine where you target audience is most active, and work on a building a following there first. You can ramp up your following on other platforms later.
3. You haven’t identified your audience.
If you haven’t identified your target audience, you can’t direct your social media content toward the people who matter most — your potential customers. Knowing your target audience is the only the way to create truly effective and engaging content, and social media is no different. Start by considering who it is you are marketing your product or service to, and create social media messages that resonate with that person.
4. You’re not adding value.
Once you’ve found your audience, you need to give them a reason to follow you. Only plugging your products and services comes off as spammy and will likely result in lost or disengaged followers. When it comes to social media, it’s important to present information that has value to your customers. Get them listening by linking to helpful articles you’ve published on your blog or offering tips for how to use your product or service. When you create content that appeals to your following, you are inadvertently promoting your business at the same time.
5. You don’t have a strategy.
Even once you’ve established a schedule and targeted your audience, posting without a strategy to engage and convert them will only get you so far. Use marketing analytics to see which approaches to social media work and which don’t. Take the time to research the most effective keywords for your posts. Developing a measurable goal and a strategy to get there is the only way to keep your business growing.
6. You’re not integrating social media with your other marketing strategies.
In order for any any social media campaign to be effective, you need to take an integrative approach to your marketing strategy. Social media is an incredibly powerful tool, but it should be one of many in your arsenal. Be sure to create a clear and consistent message across all of your marketing channels. Whether you’re running an ad on television, publishing a blog post, or sending out direct mail, integrated marketing communications build a stronger brand than any one of those mediums alone.
Social media is one of the best ways to connect with your audience and grow your business, but it’s easy to do it wrong. Keep these five things in mind in order to keep growing your social media following!
Need more help optimizing social media to grow your business? Contact Lori Jones today!
