Is your content getting buried in the feed and underperforming? You could be falling into these social media pitfalls. Read on below and let's fix your fails together.
As a small business, there is a lot of planning that goes into the growth of your company. Whether you’re striving for more revenue, aiming for an increase in customer loyalty, or hoping to bring more valued employees into the fold, there always seems to be work to do. With so much to do, and little time or resources, many jobs can often fall upon your own shoulders. This might include overseeing your company’s digital marketing efforts – this includes managing your social media channels.
In fact, according to National Enterprise Network, over 75% of small business owners use their social media successfully to drive more sales. More specifically, 28% of those asked stated that they generate more sales through social media marketing than any other channel. There’s no denying social media marketing is an invaluable tool for any business and, with UK TikTok users spending an average of almost 50 hours per month on the app, that’s a lot of chances to get your content seen. But where to start and, more importantly, what behaviours and bad habits to avoid?
We’ve got this one. Read on below for our guide on avoiding common social media pitfalls as a small business and be well on your way to your own viral moment. All you need is timing, dedication and a little bit of luck!
Five common social media marketing mistakes
Inconsistent posting
You might think, with so many users spending so much time on social media, that you can post whenever and still have your content perform well. If so, you might be disappointed to know that you there’s preferred times and days that you should be aware of to ensure your content is seen by a wider audience. With most social media platforms – such as Instagram and TikTok – this means consistently, and often. Each platform has its own guidelines for how often and when you should be posting content, so make sure you research each and are on top of the latest rules and algorithm changes.
Consider subscribing to a free social media newsletter such as Social Media Today to get updates to your inbox. Social media is a fast-paced industry and keeping yourself informed will go a long way in seeing your content succeed.
Create a social media content calendar that tracks when and where your content will be posted. This not only helps keep things organised, but can offer you insights into the kind of content that works on each channel, and how it performed. You can use Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel to create your own calendar, or make use of free social media management tools like Hootsuite to plan and schedule your content.
Handy tip: Use your data to learn which days are the best for you to post content – your engagement and awareness stats will help! For most platforms, Wednesday is a good choice but can vary depending on your target audience and content type.
Neglecting your audience engagement
Are you posting out high- quality, engaging content throughout the month, receiving comments and DMs, and then neglecting them? Bad move! Even comments that seem more negative should still be engaged with, if possible, to show that as a brand you are actively listening to feedback and trying to resolve any issues in the way your business runs – whether that be quality control, customer service or product design.
No matter what social media platform you’re using, engagement is a key factor in getting your content seen. Trying to go viral on TikTok? You’ll need as many comments, shares and likes as possible. When these comments come in, make sure you’re responding to them to create some back-and-forth interactions between your brand and the customer. This will not only help bump your content up the algorithm, but also improve your brand reputation.
Handy tip: To boost your engagement, consider adding engagement hooks in your caption or on your assets to encourage comments, likes and shares. This can be as simple as asking “Tell us below” or nudging users to share or repost. Every engagement counts!
Not tailoring content
Each social media platform has its own trends and audiences and, although reusing content across them can be an easy way to churn content out without heaps of work to do, it has to be done with the platform in mind. For example, Facebook and Instagram share a similar algorithm, so you can often use your content across both with some minor adjustments to sizing and your captions (don’t forget those links in the caption!).
However, don’t get into the habit of using the same content across all your channels. This might turn your audience off if they follow you in more than one place but can also look unpolished if the sizing doesn’t match up or if the tone is off. Think about everything you know about TikTok: trendy, fast-moving and with a younger audience. Do you think that post about recruiting you put out on LinkedIn belongs there? Likely not. Being mindful about what you post and where can be a key factor in your growth.
Handy tip: Create a content calendar that outlines tailored posts for each platform, taking into consideration their unique characteristics and audience preferences. For example, plan to use more visual content and quick, engaging content for TikTok, while reserving in-depth articles and professional updates for LinkedIn.
Neglecting analytics
Whether you check your results every hour, day, month or even year, there is a wealth of information at your fingertips when it comes to your social media performance. From awareness metrics, like impressions and reach to traffic and engagement, all data is valuable when it comes to planning your content.
The good news is each platform, from TikTok to LinkedIn, offers in-app data for you to pour over and learn what works and what doesn’t. Are you finding your video content is performing well, but your copy-only posts aren’t doing so great? This likely means your audience responds better to more eye-catching content. Analysing your data will help you learn what you need to work on and will help shape how your create your own social media strategy.
Handy tip: Set a regular schedule for reviewing your analytics, weekly or monthly, to ensure that you’re consistently tracking performance trends. Use this time to create a simple report highlighting key metrics and insights. This not only keeps you informed but also helps you adjust your strategy effectively.
Ignoring platform guidelines
It can be tempting to jump on every new trend you see across social media and, although being relevant and fast acting can be handy to see your audience grow and your content perform well, make sure you don’t get caught out with copyright infringement or strikes against your account. Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok often ban accounts for using images or music that they don’t have a license for – it can be very difficult to get these accounts back and you may not at all. Facebook can punish content that promotes political or religious beliefs and will stop your content from reaching your audience if you’re not careful. Keep in mind that, if you have a business account on TikTok, you’ll be limited in what sounds you can use.
So how do you get around these minefields and keep your accounts healthy? Research is key to avoiding this social media pitfall and, with things changing so rapidly in the digital marketing world, you’ll need to keep on top of this one. Scroll the social media news and updates as laws and guidelines shift and evolve. On platforms such as TikTok, as it focuses on creating and maintaining a safe and positive environment, they censor many words and phrases. Being uninformed may lead to your content getting buried, banned or stuck in the lovingly named “300 views jail”.
Handy tip: Consider signing up for a Canva Pro account when creating your social media content. Not only will you get access to their editing tools, but they have a music library you can use for your content to avoid any strikes for copyright.
Ready, set… GO
So now that you’re a little more informed, with some handy tips under your belt, you’re ready to take the social media world by storm and get your small business out there. Equipped with a sturdy social media calendar, supported by your up-to-date knowledge on each platform, and with data on your mind, the sky is the limit.
Need more information on starting, managing and growing your social media presence? Check out our article here all around social media basics to get you started.