Social media is definitely one of the greatest weapons in your arsenal in terms of marketing your business. It’s important that you set up the right strategy here to gain the greatest impact. There are definitely some pitfalls that you need to avoid to see the results you want. However, we can certainly help you there. Here are some of the social media marketing mistakes you must avoid at all costs.

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Ignoring the 80:20 Rule

What is the 80:20 rule? Well, this refers to the type of content you should be publishing on social media. A lot of business owners make the mistake of thinking that they should use their social media profiles as a way to release direct promotion that encourages customers to buy products or services. However, this isn’t the best path to take. Instead, you should work to ensure that the majority of your content – about 80% – isn’t promotional at all. Instead, it should be providing direct value to the reader. This could be anything from making them laugh to answering a key question they may have. Do this and your social profiles suddenly become far more powerful.

Matching Content To The Network

One of the best ways to make the most of the content you create is to use the same piece multiple times. However, that doesn’t mean that you should be using it in the same way. Instead, you should make sure that you are adjusting the content to match the network that it’s going to appear on. For instance, Instagram is obviously going to be an image. Whereas Twitter could simply be quick to the point post. It all depends on the message that you are trying to convey and the impact that you are attempting to create. Remember, with a content marketing platform it’s easy to quickly adjust content to match the social media network that you are using.

Low Engagement

You do need to make sure that you are engaging with your audience on social media. Remember, this should always be the main way that you use your social networks. It’s absolutely vital that your audience feel connected and part of your brand. You can do this by responding to individual mentions of your brand or simply asking questions. Send out polls and hold live streams. Anything that gets your users engaged is worth considering here because it could have a big impact.

No identity

Finally, you do need to make sure that you have an identity on social media. Ideally, you should have a style guide and this is particularly important if other people are going to be running your social media profiles. It’s vital that things are consistent across your different networks so that a post from your company is instantly recognizable. You should also work to ensure that your brand does have a personality that users can connect with and understand. Again, this shows that you care about more than just promoting and marketing a particular product or service.

About the Author: Garlak Theodorakis

My name is Garlak Theodorakis, I am graphic designer with almost 10 year experience in the field. Founded Tooft.com in january 2010 with idea to share my knowledge with the world.