We all know what poison is. In a nutshell, it’s a substance that causes harm to someone or something. Unfortunately, poison isn’t always marked with a giant skull and crossbones, nor is it an oozing green substance from fairy tales. Sometimes, such danger isn’t so obvious. This is especially true for social media marketing poison.
For social media, poison can be an “easy way out” or a seemingly innocent mistake. But marketers should beware! Check out the following social media dangers to avoid:
1. Inconsistency. The best way to make people forget about your brand and move onto a competitor is to be inconsistent with publishing posts. Huge gaps of time or sporadic scheduling will cause unfortunate consequences.
2. Plagiarism. Looking for some legal trouble? Then plagiarize away! There’s absolutely no reason to copy someone’s work without giving credit. Social media marketing offers us perfectly acceptable tools such as retweeting, sharing, repinning, etc. to curate content that fits your feel.
3. Unprofessionalism. Just like your personal social media profiles, there is etiquette to abide by. No cursing, no trash talking competition, no personal pictures, no using “I”. Don’t forget about the business you’re representing.
4. Veering off course. Remember your industry! While sharing interesting articles and engaging content is crucial to social media marketing success, don’t post things that are totally in left field. Keep things as relevant and centered around your field as possible.
5. No visuals. No pictures, videos, or GIFs? Boring! You will kill your social media profile by just looking unappealing. People are 80% more likely to check your content if you use imagery.
6. Ignoring customer outreach. Check your messages multiple times a day. Make sure your response time is less than 24 hours for everything that customers throw your way.
7. Living in a bubble. In it’s most primordial definition, social media is about community. Share others’ content, engage with followers, and start conversations by sharing polls, prompts, contents and more. Don’t isolate yourself from the community you’re trying to build. Talk it up!
8. Using personal opinion. Let’s be clear. Unless your company is by nature religious, political, or handles controversial subjects, it should NOT share an opinion. There will be someone out there that get’s offended.
9. Over-promoting. Even if you’re 100% using social media to boost sales, it can’t just be about promotional posts. No one will pay attention to a barrage of sales. Incorporate interesting articles, community-building exercises, quotes, etc.
10. Spam. People have a tendency to spot scams, spam, and junk a mile away. It’s in the writing and approach. Never spam. Even if your business is legit, you will look like a slimeball. We’ve all been pestered by scam artists one way or another, your business is better than that, right?
Your company needs social media, but your social media needs you to stay away from these deadly acts. What’s the panacea to this poison? Experienced, professional, and creative marketers who know their way around the internet.
Contact us today to get a jump start on social media marketing!
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