Social media has transformed the way integrated marketers do business. In fact, nowadays you can’t market business without social media. While social media presents a terrific opportunity to build connections, amplify content, and reach new prospects, social media can be a challenge to get right. Copyblogger has put together a list of 5 bad social media habits that you need to break right now.
Spreading Yourself Too Thin
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn. There are a lot of social platforms, and sometimes it feels like you need to be on each one. We have cautioned before, though, that you need to know your limits—while social media offers great returns, maintaining a presence on too many platforms may be more harmful than helpful. Instead, focus on the one or two that matter to your audience and build a strong presence there. You can always expand when time and resources allow.
Regularly Ignoring Context
While social media scheduling tools may seem like a godsend for the busy integrated marketer, ‘set it and forget it’ technology can quickly get you in hot water. Imagine a local or global crisis taking place while your social media feed updates with pre-programmed posts about your new product or service offering. That kind of disconnect can make your business look unaffected or worse: unconcerned.
Talking More Than Listening
Another potential pitfall is appearing uninterested in listening to news updates or to anyone or anything that could be of great import to your customers. Take the time to listen to your audience, learn what they value and discover their pain points. This is the perfect opportunity to gather intelligence, improve your service, and take action to meet customer needs.
All Talk, No Strategy
Social media platforms are a great place to hear and speak to your prospects. But talk without strategy won’t get your business very far. Know in advance what you are going to do with the information you gather.
All Strategy, No Talk
As important as it is to have a plan, it cannot be at the expense of actual human interaction. If customers suspect you simply want to upsell, cross-sell or capitalize on them, they will find other businesses where they can interact with real humans. Social media is, ultimately, a place to hang out and have conversations—not just a place to display your carefully crafted messaging and automated email sequences.
Find Your Balance
Eliminate these bad habits and you should be well on your way to finding the equilibrium that will lead to integrated marketing success. Search for the sweet spot when it comes to connecting with your customers, and stake out that space. Take the time to understand your prospects, be strategic but human, and pay attention to what’s happening in the world around your business so that you can react in real-time with real emotion.
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