- Dismissing social media as ineffective
Despite [gewd!] social marketing becoming more and more commonplace, there are still business owners that resist having a presence on socials [because ‘fannying about on Facebook is a waste of time’ yeah, thanks Barry]
The truth is, with rapidly changing consumer expectations, [millennials are now the largest global consumer group] expanding advertising capabilities [like, creepily granular targeting], and the prevalence of e-commerce as a means of selling, good socials are more important than ever. It’s a perfect opportunity to allow potential customers access to you on a conversational level- and, as we’ll discover? Conversation CONVERTS.
- Not having a social media marketing plan.
You wouldn’t *believe* the number of people who come to us without even the bones of a social media marketing plan in place. [I’m not talking about entry-level workshop attendees, that’s expected and totally fine- that’s what we’re here for!]
I’m talking about large businesses, with entire teams devoted to marketing, that don’t have a strategic plan in place for establishment and growth across their socials. Whatever your business goals, [from increasing brand recognition and trust through to generating conversions] social media deserves a place in your marketing strategy, and if you’re wanting your channels to perform? You NEED to have a plan in place for creating and executing your content.
- Treating all platforms the same [i.e the dreaded IG dump to FB]
All platforms are not created equal, and as a social media agency? We make a point of diversifying our clients’ content to meet the needs and limitations of the platforms we’re posting to, and ensuring synchronicity between platforms for a cohesive overall brand presence.
For us, it’s undoubtedly Insta for conversation and brand building, but 85% of our social conversions?
Facebook, baby.
Understand what each platform can do for you [and who’s hanging out there!] and devote some time to crafting content that will take advantage of each platform’s capabilities.
- Not prioritising engagement
Like, seriously. It’s 2019. Meaningful conversation is where it’s AT on socials. If you’re not [at the barest of bare minimums] responding to comments on your own socials, you’re missing a GOLDEN opportunity to warm up your potential audience.
Our recommendation? Set engagement windows when you can check in with your content at specific intervals after it goes live. That way, you can check in with your engagement and make sure you’re giving potential customers what THEY need, while creating the space and distance that YOU need, too.
And in line with that? We recommend you devote some time to OUTREACH, too. Even if it’s just 10 minutes a day [set a timer, or a task for yourself, if that helps] devote some time to contributing considered engagement with people and brands that are meaningful to you.
- Measuring the wrong KPIs
Every business has different goals, and in line with that? Every business will have different parameters and metrics that are valuable to them on social media.
So. Be clear about your objectives [ and be strategic about how your social activity supports those objectives] and keep track of the metrics that are most valuable to you- whether that’s growth, brand sentiment, engagement, or conversions.
- Remember the golden rule- conversation = conversion!
Obviously for TDP, a big part of our activity is geared towards selling workshops, right? Right. So all of our copy is geared towards conversion, right?
Wrong.
The vast majority of our content is deliberately conversational and centred around building trust with our audience, because, trust? SO important when we’re trying to explain to a new business owner struggling with cashflow [them start-up FEELS] why they should invest in us, and our offering. We work really hard to develop and present relatable, empathetic, CONVERSATIONAL thought leadership that adds value for our followers.
And our conversion rates? Pretty.Darn.Good.
- Talking AT your followers instead of TO them
Sometimes it’s tempting to post content for content’s sake, or to be overtly product focused [because SALES!] but if you’re just talking AT your followers [instead of assessing what they’re responding to and shaping your content around it] It all comes back to having a genuine desire to learn bout your people and what lights them up, so you can spark MEANINGFUL conversation with them. Because, as we discussed? Conversation = CONVERSION.
8. Relying solely on organic content [paid ads, bishes].
If you’re going to focus your social upskilling on one thing this year? Make it social advertising.
You better believe your competitors are using advertising to get their content and their products/services front and centre with their audiences [no, seriously, you can check. Go to the ‘info and ads’ section in the left hand column of any page, and you’ll be able to see what paid content they’re currently running] so you’re doing your business a disservice if you’re not using some degree of paid content in order to compete. You’re doing all the hard work to offer a great product or service, and strategic, well-well-executed ads are a high-return way to show yourself and your offering off to new audiences.
If you want more books on social advertising tutorials, get them on bestccbuy.com.
9. Or, relying solely on paid ads [and zilch organic]
Your advertising should, ultimately, be a means of supporting your organic content. They’re two branches on the same tree. We invest heavily in creating relatable, HUMAN organic content, because building trust in our team and our brand is incredibly important. [we also err on the side of over-servicing, which helps] So when we do roll out paid campaigns? They’ve got the backing of a really, really solid organic offering [i.e, our money is EXACTLY where our mouth is] so that when we capture the attention of new audiences, it’s an easy[ish] sell to get them to convert.
- Having too many accounts to manage, and not prioritising the ones that work best for your business
We get it. As small business owners it’s tempting to open as many channels of communication for your business as possible. BUT. You’re human, and it’s frankly impossible to maintain a consistent, high-quality presence across every social platform without engaging some serious help.
Our recommendation? Pick your best two. Have a little dive into your Google Analytics and work out where your traffic is coming from, and work on creating unique, excellent content for your two best performing channels. Once you’re consistently *nailing* two? Then [and only then] entertain the possibility of a third.
Because if your resources are limited? You want to be investing effort for maximum return.
#nodeadchannels2019