Chances are, you’ve been posting to various social media accounts on and off for the past several months or even years, but you just aren’t getting anything tangible out of the deal. You want to network online to make meaningful connections and drive leads, but it just isn’t materializing. Time to give up on social media?
Actually, it’s time to get serious about doing social media RIGHT!
8 Things You’re Doing Wrong
1. You’re self-absorbed.
Hey, the truth hurts. But the sooner you admit that you’re the brand who only posts updates about yourself, the sooner you can turn this thing around. If you want to bring in revenue via social media, stop posting only about your business. Instead, mix it up – post interesting news stories, jokes, stunning visuals, and thought-provoking questions.
2. You post when no one is around.
Did you know social media professionals strategically post according to the optimum time when their audience is most likely to be online? Networks like Facebook, Twitter, and other major social media players have an algorithm just like Google. And just like Google, these social networks don’t show your stuff to everyone. Invest the time to study your audience and post when they’re online to see it.
3. You’re a robot.
Do you like Hoot Suite or other auto-schedulers? Guess what. While some scheduling is ok, the importance of spontaneous, live human interaction is vitally important on social media. A human element cannot be substituted.
4. You post too much.
Ever been at a cocktail party with someone who wouldn’t shut up? Don’t be that guy. Last year, HubSpot posted an interesting article about why people unfollow brands on social media. In it they detailed a survey conducted by BuzzStream and Fractl – and 15% of respondents said they unfollow brands because they post on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn in excess of 6 times per day.
5. You post too little.
Posting too infrequently or sporadically is just as detrimental as posting too much. If you don’t post very often, your followers will forget about you and move on. A successful social media strategy that drives traffic and leads is a strategy that has momentum. Stop and go doesn’t work on social media.
6. You don’t tell your audience what to do.
No, I don’t mean boss everyone around. But on those occasional self-promoting posts, provide clear calls to action to drive traffic to your website. Spell it out in simple terms and be assertive.
7. You bought your friends.
Please tell me you didn’t do this. Yes, there are ways to buy new Twitter followers or Facebook Likes, but if you did this, you’ve effectively shot yourself in the foot. It wouldn’t work in your own life if your only friends were paid to be your friends, right? The same is true for social media – those inactive followers will actually decrease the exposure of your posts and hurt you in the long-term.
8. You aren’t participating in conversations.
For some reason, brands easily focus on the “media” and not the “social.” But social media should first be SOCIAL. If you want to generate leads and revenue, there is no greater ROI than fostering genuine conversations and engagement on social media.
Stop blending in, and start standing out with a vibrant social media presence that people love, engage with, and do business with. Stop posting in vain and start winning online!
Tell us in the comments which of these helped you the most!
