7 Social Media Marketing Mistakes You Should Avoid

Whether you've been managing social media accounts for years or are just getting started, committing marketing mistakes is inevitable

Digital marketing in Miami is a very competitive world. If you continue making beginner marketing mistakes, you might end up failing in your chosen niche.

And that's where we at Digital Resource come in. We want you to bring your A-game so that you can bring the best in the many social media accounts that you're handling.

Having said that, here are seven frequent social media marketing mistakes you should avoid for your marketing efforts to be successful.

1. Not Engaging Followers on Your Social Media Platforms

Social media is not a billboard. These platforms are designed to foster social connections between people - and brands are no exception.  

Connections are vital to develop long-term relationships with platform users and generate sales.

The best part about community building on most social media platforms is that it's completely free. There's no need for you to invest a large marketing budget or buy your followers through untrusted software you see around the internet.

However, it takes time. You will only grow if you dedicate time serving and nurturing your online community.

One of the best things you can do on your social media platforms is to spend at least 10 minutes per day responding to your followers who post questions or comments. Check your location tags and thank your customers for sharing photos of your business.

Suppose you own a landscaping business in Miami. In that case, you may also check local hashtags such as #MiamiLandscaping or #LandscapingInMiami and write well-meaning remarks on Twitter or Instagram.

Another tip to engage more followers is by leaving a comment or a reaction on the Instagram stories of people you follow.

2. Not Having a Foresight

You will never see results if you simply publish infrequently for the sake of posting because that is what you believe you need to do. This will swiftly spiral into a vicious circle, leading marketers to think that social media is worthless.

It is effective. You simply need to plan your content ahead of time so that you can deliver value to your audience. Then, to truly sell your product or service, follow it up with a call to action.

By organizing your content in advance and scheduling your photos and videos, you will have much more time in your day to fulfill the rest of your daily tasks.

Successful social media managers always plan ahead. They don't worry about what to share in the present because they schedule-post their photos and content on different days of the month.

Early planning allows marketers to be more intentional about what they offer, which results in a more engaged community and more sales.

3. Not Responding to Direct Messages

Not responding to or ignoring direct messages or comments from your followers implies that you don't care about what they have to say.

Every day on social media marketing must be spent communicating with your audience, answering inquiries, and monitoring your direct messages. Sometimes, there are unique questions hidden in the Instagram direct message space that you can miss if you don't look for them.

If you own a retail business, checking on direct messages is incredibly crucial. Some of your potential customers may be confused about what time your store opens, or they might want to know if a specific product is available in your store.

There have been several instances wherein people would share their frustrations on social media about the number of times they have DM’ed a retail store. Those people could have been potential customers, which could have brought sales to those retail stores.

4. Not Editing Photos

Building relationships, in our opinion, is more important than a great picture. But, let's face it, there will always be lots of ugly photos out there.

As a social media manager, you need to learn photography fundamentals, even if you're only using your phone to create content for social media.

Here are some of the few things you can do when shooting a product or a model:

• Do not shoot in direct sunlight
• Be conscious of your angles
• Use your phone's built-in editing tools or apps to improve your photos

A few minor changes can improve the appearance of an image or video. If you're the one in charge of your brand's social media and you're still unhappy with the photos you're taking, consider outsourcing.

Allow a photographer or videographer to come in once a quarter to take shots that you can use again and again. Or, you can also find someone else at your company who takes good photos and have them conduct batch photo shoots.

Then, upload all of the images to a cloud storage service, such as Dropbox or Google Drive, so that everyone in your workplace can access them.

5. Not Posting Content with Intention

This is related to number two, but even if you prepare ahead, you should maintain consistency in your post count. The number of posts you publish every week and the type of content you share are both favored by social media algorithms.

Mix it up, but stick to four to six brand passions or content pillars, so your audience knows what to anticipate from your business. This is an excellent approach to interact with customers that share your interests.

6. Not Having CTAs

While social media marketing should not be overly salesy, calls to action (CTAs) should be included in every online post. Tell your viewers what you want them to do after reading your post at the beginning or end of the content. Keep it concise and to the point.

For example, you may ask your audience to answer a question in the comments section, click a link, enter a sweepstake, make a reservation, or provide feedback. Ask your community if they prefer a drink of red or white wine or, better yet, what they think of cilantro.

If you want your clients to visit your website, keep these things in mind:

1. Include a link to the section of your website you want them to visit.

2. Don't just simply direct them to a homepage.

3. Always make it simple for clients to buy from you.

7. Not Simplifying Content Creation

This is probably the most common error we see people make when it comes to social media marketing.

For many small companies, the person who shares content on social media isn't necessarily doing it full-time. And, with the current global pandemic, virtual experiences have become more and more significant, which means people are using video more than before.

That's intimidating enough, and when you're looking at yourself in the camera, it's tempting to overthink everything—from how you appear to how your voice sounds.

Overthinking can be reduced by planning ahead of time and continuing to practice. Some of us struggle with confidence, but clarity comes with action. The more you do something, the easier it becomes, and the less you have to overthink every aspect. It can also assist in brainstorming content ideas with your team.

Focus on topics you are knowledgeable about so you’ll be super confident that the content is good.  

Another way your team may approach this is by writing down the FAQs you receive and creating content that answers these queries. They are typically asked for a purpose, and generating content that your clients want to learn more about is a beautiful approach to deliver definite value.

Avoid Committing Social Media Marketing Mistakes with Digital Resource

Not all mistakes are harmful because you may frequently learn from them, so pay attention to your digital analytics and figure out what works best for you. You can help your business thrive in this increasingly digital environment by avoiding these seven common social media marketing mistakes.

At Digital Resource, we understand that your company is everything to you, and you don't want to make any mistakes. We are confident in our capacity to offer outstanding results by accelerating your company's growth, generating more leads, and increasing revenue for you. You'll have peace of mind knowing you're working with a highly skilled and dependable team.

Our foremost goal is to ensure that your Miami company develops and prospers in all aspects. We want to see you ascend to the top of Google's search results and generate a torrent of leads that much outnumber your ability to handle.

Learn more about our digital marketing services at Digital Resource and contact us today for a free consultation!