“Social Media has become a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their target audience and expand their brand reach.”

Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com

Social Media has become a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their target audience and expand their brand reach. However, with its visibility and wide reach also comes the risk of costly mistakes that can damage a brand’s reputation for years to come. In this article, we will explore four common mistakes businesses make on social media and how to avoid them.

1. Insensitive or inappropriate posts: Social media is a platform that allows for open communication and the sharing of opinions, but it also means that meaning and context can easily be misconstrued. To avoid posting anything that could be considered insensitive and inappropriate, it is important to establish a detailed posting policy where multiple pairs of eyes must sign off on a tweet or post before it can be published. This will ensure that all content is thoroughly reviewed and any potential issues are addressed before they become public. An example of this is a company that made a social media faux pas, later deleted the post or tweet, and is now making an apology to save face and restores public relations.
2. Going in attack mode: social media, particularly Twitter, is filled with trolls who exist solely to bring others down. It can be tempting to engage with these trolls and respond to their negative comments, but this not an effective strategy. Instead, the best approach is to ignore them. “Trolling is one of those rare problems best handled by ignoring it. If you do, it usually goes away,” expert Tim Dowling says. “Trolls want your attention and discomfiture; they feed on your impotent rage. If they’re trying to be funny, your willingness to rise to the bait provides the punch line. If you don’t there’s no joke. The secret to withholding attention is consistency. Never respond.” An example of this is when a company’s social media campaign is targeted by trolls, instead of engaging with them, company ignored them and focused on their target audience.
3. Failing to identify your target audience: Creating profiles, developing content, and following a few accounts is not enough. To be successful on social media, businesses must narrow their focus and ensure they are reaching the right people. A detailed understanding of the target audience is crucial. This includes not only demographic information but also where your audience shops, how they spend their time, what their political beliefs are, and who they aspire to become. By understanding your audience you can tailor your content to engage users in meaningful ways. An example of this is when a business creates a social media campaign without identifying their target audience, the campaign falls flat and fails to connect with its intended audience.
4. Paying for likes and followers: Paying for likes and followers may seem like an easy way to boost your social media presence, but it is costly mistake. “Do not make mistake of believing that the likes and follows you purchase are real people,” expert Kyle Jasinski says. “These are not potential leads or customers. Don’t expect them to share or link your content. Think of these social media accounts as robots doing the same thing for everybody.” By buying likes and followers, businesses are speaking to an audience that is either fake or irrelevant, resulting in a waste of time and money. Instead, businesses should focus on procuring organic followers who are genuinely interested in their content. An example of this is when a business buys like and followers, but the audience is not engaged with the content and it fails generating leads or customers.

In conclusion, social media can be an asset or a hindrance for businesses. It is important to become familiar with the intricacies of each platform and to never stop learning, by avoiding the mistakes outlined in this article, businesses can ensure that their social media strategy is effective and not detrimental there.