Beginnings are tough for start-ups, especially for start-ups trying to make their presence felt on social media platforms. While it is a fact that social marketing can help fast-track the growth of your start-up, damaging your online reputation is easy if you do not do it correctly. If you are trying to get your start-up company off the ground, you need to invest your time and money into, apart from developing an excellent service or product, marketing.
If you plan to use social media to take your start-up to new heights, here are ten mistakes that you should avoid at all costs.
Not having a plan
Social marketing is not about getting online and posting all you can about yourself and your start-up. Before you make your attendance felt online, it is imperious for you to have a social media strategic plan in place. Your social media efforts need to have a solid foundation and a strategic plan that outlines your objectives and details your services. Get in touch with your lead sales and marketing members and identify your target audience.
Not being devoted to the plan
If you are not dedicated to your social marketing plan, your social media accounts will be inactive, which will, in turn, create a bad impression. Your social marketing plan is not a sprint; think of it as a marathon. If the results make you impatient, tweak your performance by analyzing metrics, adapting to audience behaviors, and tracking competition.
Selecting random platforms
Given the rise in the number of social media platforms, you might think it necessary to market your brand everywhere. Though, all social media platforms have a different purpose and a different sets of users. Consequently, you will have to have a different social media marketing plan in place for each platform. The key to marketing effectively on social media platforms is outlining your target customers.
Being all over the place
As mentioned, all social media platforms have a different purpose and, as such, require different marketing plans. You might not have the time and energy to develop appealing content for several platforms. Furthermore, you do not need to post on platforms that will not get your desired results.
Posting at inappropriate times
Simply knowing your target customers is not enough; you also need to know what time zones they live in and at what time they are most active.
Posting too often
While not posting constantly can be bad for your business, posting too frequently can also be a deal-breaker. Get the balance right: posting something once or twice a month can cause your brand to become invisible, and sharing a dozen posts a day is way too much. Find out what works for your brand and stick to it.
Boring your audience
It is possible to bore your target audience without even knowing it, so be cautious of what you are constantly posting. Talk with your spectators and get them engaged in a conversation, attract eyeballs, use humor, ask genuine questions and give intelligent answers.
Self-promoting
If you only talk about yourself and your company, people will unfollow you. Instead of putting your start-up in the spotlight, focus on your target audience. Talk about things that interest your end-users, and you will engage them in exciting conversations.
Giving users a reason to laugh
The worst thing you can do for your brand is to give your target audience a reason to laugh at you. Avoid blunders by thinking about your posts and taking the time to analyze probable outcomes.
Not understanding your marketplace
Before you even spend your first dollar on creating an ad, you need first to understand your marketplace. Thoroughly analyze your customer demographics or buyer persona’s psychographics.
Conclusion
Social marketing mistakes have the potential to put a company out of business. As a start-up owner, you can never be too cautious about what you post online. So, put adequate thought into your social marketing plans and ensure you do not make the mistakes mentioned above.
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