Top Social Media Marketing Mistakes to Avoid for Marketers

:: By Keval Padia, Nimblechapps ::

The social media manager in your company might have a knack for engaging customers on the different social networks, but their efforts don't always translate into success. Here are nine of the most common mistakes of social media marketing that even the brightest social stars can make.

1. Wasting customers' time through conversations on lesser-known sites

Any company thinking of initiating conversations with its customers should go to sites where they usually spend their time. A website catering to senior citizens, for example, won't want to launch a Snapchat initiative as this social network has a mostly millennial audience.

2. Pestering customers who don't want to hear from you

The social Web involves people talking about subjects that are of great interest to them. Some brands might be part of a conversation naturally while other brands might need permission.

Finding out whether the brand can encroach into a conversation (e.g. within Facebook or LinkedIn groups or even hashtags on Twitter) is determined by how authentic the brand plans on being - being helpful always wins. 

3. Choosing the wrong social voice

It's critical to choose and stick with a social voice: funny, serious, sarcastic, informational, etc. While a brand's social voice should complement their brand (for example a national news agency wouldn't want to make light of a serious news event), many brands (like DiGiorno Pizza) have found success being consistently light-hearted. 

Back-to-school list: 1. Pizza 2. More pizza 3. #2 pencils, maybe? pic.twitter.com/X99OJtljHE

— DiGiorno Pizza (@DiGiornoPizza) August 17, 2015

4. Being impatient

Social media isn't a marketing campaign; but a commitment. All marketers are required to tend to customers one at a time in a personal and conversational manner. Do not be impatient and convince your managers to set a pre-determined length of time for their efforts. Do not pull the plug on the entire effort just because success is delayed.

5. Treating social in isolation of the standard marketing approach

Social media should complement existing marketing initiatives in more ways than one.

For instance, mobile apps with integrated customer reviews and a feedback section will help the company connect more than standalone initiatives would.

6. Ignoring Influencers

Look for those people who are influencers within your niche. They can be identified by lots of engaged social followers and the popularity of their blogs. You can offer them free product samples, throw parties for industry influencers and more so they promote your brand in an organic way. 

7. Thinking of Social as only a marketing channel

Marketers who treat SMM like a marketing channel do not understand the medium because social needs to be a two-way conversation where followers are answered and engaged. 

8. Plan for the worst or else the worst is expected

Brands sometimes have PR disasters but how they respond to them on social media makes a world of difference. Check out these examples. 

9. Forget to reward the participants

Help social members remember why they followed your brand in the first place by offering invites to special events, discount vouchers, sneak peeks of new products and other incentives to make them feel like they are part of the brand's success. .

Keval Padia is a Founder & CEO of Nimblechapps, a fast-growing android application development company. The current innovation and updates of the field lure him to express his views and thoughts on certain topics.

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