Is it true to say that any social media marketing strategy is better than no strategy at all? Sort of, but this isn’t the kind of attitude that tends to breed the most impressive success stories.
Each and every one of those involved in social media marketing will over time build their own unique habits and approaches. Suffice to say, some of these habits are more effective than others – some could do with being eliminated from the equation altogether.
So given the fact that social media remains one of the world’s most powerful marketing tools, what follows is a quick rundown of just a few of the bad habits so many marketers might still be making:
1 – Automation
A cardinal sin if ever there was one, trying to automate absolutely everything is a big no-no. There are thousands of readily available social media tools these days which can (in moderation) be extremely helpful. Nevertheless, the more of the process you allow to be taken over by the machine, the more you remove the human element and take away from what social media marketing is all about.
2 – Misjudged Newsjacking
One of the most effective ways of engaging is to jack interesting and relevant new stories the very moment they break. It’s a tried and tested strategy most marketers use, but most nonetheless be approached with caution. The reason being that trying to get on board with a news item or discussion that is a) irrelevant to you or b) not within your expertise will only out to you as the bandwagon jumper you are. Newsjacking can be great, but must be implemented strategically.
3 – Insufficient Engagement
Social media is the perfect illustration of an area where leading by example is the way to go. The more active you are in your chosen community and with your target audience, the more active you can expect them to be in return. These days, a token comment or appearance every now and again of little to no ‘soul’ will not get you anywhere.
4 – Me, Me, Me
Next up, it is important to remember that when anyone pays your website a visit, they do so for their own benefit – not yours. As such, everything you do in terms of your social media marketing strategy and content you produce in general should be geared toward their needs, their interests, their preference and their benefit in general. It’s easy to fall into the trap of perpetually preaching about your own exploits and what not, but chances are this will be of little to no interest to those most important to you.
5 – No Media Mix
We live in an age when the average consumer would much rather take information from an image, a video clip or infographics, rather than read a block of text. Extensive research has shown that mixed media has exponentially more power and appeal of unbroken text – it’s a message many marketers apparently haven’t yet picked up.
6 – Pigeon-Holing
Last but not least, there’s every likelihood that those who follow you on Facebook will be very different from those who follow you on Twitter or Instagram. A solid social media strategy means taking into account each respective audience independently, rather than simply assuming they will all be the same across the board. They won’t, which means that if you make this mistake, you cannot expect your campaign as a whole to reach its full potential.
How many of these habits are you personally guilty of?
