Social media 101: Business Tips - Mingle with the crowd

Every small business owner knows that they should utilize social media as part of their marketing plan to find and retain customers. But in the process, they make a lot of mistakes with these tools. Here are some of the most common and what to do about each of them:
 

1. Only selling your “stuff”

You are constantly pitching product offers. You are asking people to buy instead of first establishing a relationship with them. Instead, become helpful in current conversations that show off your expertise. The selling comes much later and very infrequently.
 

2. Talking at people, not with them

You are not having two way conversations with people, but only broadcasting your message at them. A good indication that this is happening is no one ever responds to what you post. Instead, ask questions on social media that will get responses. For example, “What do you do to prepare your garden for the winter?”
 

3. Talking to the wrong people

You have no strategy for your social media and will talk to anyone who will respond to you. This is because you may have outsourced it to any GenY-er you can find or have social media as a low priority. Instead, use someone with specific social marketing experience.
 

4. Asking others to share your content, but never talking to them other times

You only communicate with potential partners to ask them to share your stuff. This sends the wrong signals. Instead, ask how you can help them before asking the favor of spreading your message.
 

5. Broadcasting the same message across all channels

You use a tool like HootSuite that ineffectively replicates the exact same message across all social marketing channels. Instead, tailor your message for each specific social media platform. For example, a marketing message on Facebook needs to have a picture or video.
 

6. Focusing on numbers, not quality

You are obsessed with the number of followers instead of the quality of their interaction with your company. Instead, remember who is interacting with you not the number of followers.
 

7. Posting infrequently or irregularly

No one knows when you will show up on social media. Instead, have a regular schedule to show dependability and consistency of your brand message.
 

8. Not posting the same things multiple times during the day or week

Most social media posts have a short shelf life (Twitter is about 15 minutes, Facebook is about 60 minutes). Everyone is not always on social media so things need to be posted multiple times to guarantee they will be seen.
 

9. Not monitoring what people are saying

You have no idea what people are saying about your company daily and they are your biggest marketing weapon. Customers now place more trust in online reviews than advertisements. Monitor daily what everyone is saying about your brand or the areas your company cares about.
 

10. Having no company social media policy

Can employees check their social media accounts at work? Can they post on behalf of the company? There is no right or wrong answer, but there should be a specific policy that guides them through this process.
 

11. Deleting negative comments

When someone says something negative about your company, you try to delete it. On social media, this is a big mistake. Instead, respond with empathy and provide a solution. Customers will value that you cared to respond.
 

12. Sending automated direct messages to followers

Most social media users consider this spam. Instead, only send direct messages that are customized for the person you are connecting with.
 

13. #Using #too #many #hashtags

This is a good tool to become part of a conversation, but not every tweet or Facebook post needs to have a #newhashtag on it. #JustCuttheGrass or #OMGSocialMediaMistakes!
 

14. Not leaving enough space for other people to retweet you

Make it easy for people to retweet your message by leaving room for their Twitter handle and the letters RT. Don’t use the full 140 characters in your original tweet since this will force them to delete some of your message.
 

15. Not using a photo that represents your brand

A logo is okay, but it’s called social media for a reason. Instead, use a picture that makes a more personal connection.

Barry Moltz helps small businesses get unstuck. His new book is called How to Get Unstuck: 25 Ways to Get Your Business Growing Again. www.barrymoltz.com