7 ways you are sabotaging your social media presence

Do you want to know the 7 ways that you are sabotaging your social media presence? If so, then read on! It is often hard to know what we are doing wrong with our social media. This article will help you identify some of the most common mistakes people make when managing their accounts.

1) Not setting up your profile correctly in the first place

If you want to be regarded as a professional business, there is no excuse for low resolution logo avatar or banner. Invest some dollars into looking professional, just as you would in real life.

It is also important to have a concise bio that explains what you do easily and quickly. A website is also a must so that your followers have an easy call to action to find out more about your business.

Especially during a global crisis, it is crucial that you have your fundamental digital marketing channels such as your social media and website set-up correctly. You can read about the Importance of digital marketing during a global crisis in one of our insight articles.

2) Posting too much about yourself

Posting too much about your product or services can be damaging if you do it too often. You need to remember, social media and internet in general is a place where people find information and look for value. Sometimes it can be a good idea to post about things that are relevant to others, focusing on how your content can help them - whether it's education or entertainment.

3) Not matching your tone and language to your brand and audience

The tone and language you use on your social media channels is important. If it's too formal, then people will feel like they can't relate to the content. Your company has a following for a reason: they want an authentic voice. They might have come to know about your business in person or through word of mouth, so it is important, that you carry out the same tone on your social media as you do in everyday business and marketing.

4) Not posting regularly

The most important thing is to remember that you're here to engage with your audience and provide value. Posting regularly on the social media keeps you top of mind for your followers. 

So, how often should you post?

The best social media strategy is to post between three and five to three times a week across all your social media channels. This will provide value for your followers, keep them engaged with your content, and generate more engagement from their connections.

For most small business, posting regularly can be a really daunting task. It takes a lot to first come up with a topic, write about it in an engaging way, and then create an accommodating photo or graphic. At Squid Group we offer a full content service, including video and written copy, however, there are some simple tools to help with that. For example, you can use Canva to create your social media graphics easily. Or, if you prefer a hands off automatic approach, you can use Moona.io to generate and create content for you.

It's also worth noting that there are some exceptions to this rule if you're a big company that has many facets or many audiences on different platforms.

5) Not participating in conversations from followers or by following other users back

If you don't interact with your followers or participate in conversations on other people's posts, then there is a likelihood that they will  stop following you. Your social media presence needs to be active if you want it to grow as more of a community rather than just an advertisement.

Followers are important for building relationships with - just like the people from your CRM. If do not currently use a CRM we recommend trying PipeDrive.

6) Posting irrelevant content; not engaging with current events or trends in your industry

You need to be aware of what is happening in your industry, especially if it's a trend. If you are posting content that doesn't relate to the current or trending topic, then you will lose followers, as they may not want to see posts about something else.

Posting irrelevant content also applies when talking with people on social media - make sure to be innovative with your creative, but also don't go into brand-new topics that don't speak to your audience. If you want to start talking about a new service you've introduced, make a smooth transition to assure that followers don't feel left out.

7) Not using a hashtag strategy for branding purposes

Using hashtags on social media is a great way to get your posts seen by more people. For example, if you post a photo of an event and want to share it with the guests that attended or even those who couldn't make it, using hashtags gives them the opportunity to see how much fun they missed out on.

However, you must also be aware of hashtag pitfalls, such as the #McDStories marketing disaster covered back in 2013 - when a hashtag becomes a bashtag.