Social network marketing is an essential part of a digital marketing strategy. According to the Pew Research Network, of the adults that regularly log onto the internet, 74% of those are active on social networks. The market is certainly thriving, however, as marketers, we often get distracted by chasing that coveted viral message by overselling, overpaying and oversharing.
An article was recently published on Webbiquity’s B2B Marketing Blog presenting mistakes many companies make when creating and executing their social media marketing plan. Here are 5 things that should be avoided with social network communications:
- Paying for followers. It doesn’t really help you, as far as public visibility, to pay for followers. While the added numbers will make you seem more credible to viewers, networking site algorithms that monitor engagement will end up limiting the reach of your posts. This is due to low message engagement among brand followers.
- Overselling. Social media platforms should be used to add value to your brand. While we are in the business of selling a product or service, buying isn’t the reason people plug into social networks. Use social media as a place to entertain or inform users.
- Forgoing visual content. The numbers speak for themselves. Tweets see 35% more engagement when images are shared. On Facebook, of the top 10% posts shared last year by brands, 87% had images.
- Sharing too much. Information overload is very likely to turn off the audience. Avoid clogging up timelines by repeatedly posting in a short span of time.
- Not measuring. Just like with other marketing efforts, it’s important to monitor the results of your social media campaigns. While the metrics won’t show the relationship of specific efforts to sales, they will highlight the reach of your campaigns.
Read the article 10 Social Media Marketing Mistakes Businesses Must Avoid. It can help you get started in re-focusing your social media marketing strategy on the goals of your organization.
Barbara Anderson
Marketing Coordinator