Social media is often credited (mistakenly) as being one of the simplest methods of marketing your content. As a result, business owners rush in without taking the time to consider what it involves, making numerous mistakes along the way.
By knowing what the common missteps are, you can learn how to avoid them before they become an issue.
One of the hardest things about running a business is getting noticed. The online world becomes more and more crowded each year, so it’s vital to find new ways of standing out. Naturally, this is where marketing comes in. However, not all marketing methods are created equal.
Consider social media, for example. It’s fair to say that in today’s climate, this is one of the most effective ways of promoting your content. To start with, it’s a perfect method for boosting the visibility of your business. In fact, 90% of brands use social media specifically for this reason.
An effective social media marketing strategy can also help you increase sales, particularly through the use of paid ads. Global spending on social media advertising increased 32% in 2018, and is predicted to grow an additional 73% over the next five years.
One of the reasons social media marketing can be so challenging is that it’s quite easy to make mistakes. Fortunately, you can avoid most errors by simply learning to recognize them. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of some of the most commonly-encountered social media mistakes you’ll want to watch out for.
Skimping on Video Production
Most people have been on a brand’s social media channel, scrolled through it, and then left because it was dull and uninspired. A lot of businesses start their social media journeys by primarily posting simple text-based content.
Although this can serve a purpose, it’s not usually the best way to engage your audience. Instead, you’ll want to focus on more visually-compelling content, such as videos. Video content is becoming increasingly popular, with mobile video consumption rising by 100% each year.
This is particularly evident across social media platforms. Social media posts with videos gain 48% more views on average than text posts, and research by Promo revealed that 71% of consumers enjoy seeing videos in their feeds. In short, you can no longer afford to ignore video content when crafting your marketing strategy.
Of course, simply creating a video isn’t enough to make it a success. There are certain best practices you’ll want to follow for optimal results. For example, studies suggest that videos around two minutes long generally perform best, and adding captions can improve engagement. Keeping those two guidelines in mind will get your video content off to an excellent start.
Not Moving Customers To Your Sales Funnel
Posting a stunning image or engaging video of one of your products is an excellent way to pique your audience’s interest. On the other hand, failing to disclose where they can get that item will leave many feeling frustrated.
As such, you’ll want to make it as easy as possible for social media users to find your products. Of course, you can always include links throughout your profiles, but this isn’t the most effective approach. Instead, you’ll want to incorporate those links into the content itself.
With Instagram Shopping, for example you can quickly and easily add product tags to your posts on the platform. These let shoppers know the name of each item, as well as how much it costs. What’s more, purchases can be made directly via Instagram, which greatly shortens the path to conversion.
On Facebook, you can even set up an online store directly from your business page. All you’ll need to do is add in the relevant information, since the platform offers several preset “shopping” templates. This makes your job a lot easier, and creates a clear path for potential customers to follow.
Ignoring New and Exciting Technology
One of the most challenging aspects of conducting business online is that the landscape is constantly changing. It’s important to keep up with the technological advances social media platforms are making, or your brand could appear outdated when compared to the competition. Relying only on tried-and-trusted methods is unlikely to capture the attention of your audience.
There’s a lot of exciting new technology to try out, although Facebook 360 is a great place to start. This software enables you to craft ads that are viewable in 360 degrees, providing your visitors with an immersive experience.
This is just one example of the ever-growing presence of Augmented Reality (AR) marketing. With AR ads, users can try on wearable products, such as eyewear and makeup, from the comfort of their own homes (or on the go). This provides an engaging and memorable experience for both existing and potential customers.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another key tool that can be used in numerous applications, such as customer service. Creating an AI chatbot will help you deal with any user queries in a fast and efficient manner, and it can be easily integrated with your social media channels. Technology like this helps you think outside the box, and take your online marketing and support to the next level.
The problem with social media is that many brands simply don’t know enough about it. Failing to do your research can lead to a lot of mistakes, particularly when there are so many new social media tactics and technologies for you to try out. Fortunately, by avoiding the pitfalls we’ve discussed, you should be able to boost engagement with your target market, raising visibility and sales as a result.
Do you have any further questions about effective social media marketing? Let us know in the comments section below!