Bendu Ohale

Mastering Social Media Marketing: 5 Common Pitfalls to Avoid Think about your favourites in the online space whom you enjoy reading their post daily or a captivating social media infographic that got you thinking hard for days. Those people have mastered the art of social media marketing. You must always see social media marketing from the lens of a bustling and vibrant marketplace, brimming with potential customers and eager competitors. If you have been posting on social media but haven’t had any major success, it could just be because you have been ignorantly doing the wrong things. Without further ado, let’s discuss some of the common pitfalls to totally avoid in social media marketing to have a thriving online business. 5 Actions to Avoid in SMM to Build a Strong Online Presence Here are top five actions I recommend you desist from in your online marketing, as they could harm your online reputation and overall marketing strategy. 1. Telling Tactless Stories Making a good impression with your story matters. No matter the social media platform you employ, you should always share stories that contribute positively to your brand's image. If the story is not engaging, doesn’t provide value and has no real purpose, you don’t want to tell it. People click the subscribe and follow button because they can relate with what you share on your page. Another thing I want to point out is that, consistently promoting your products or services can create a negative impression and push people away. So what kind of stories should you be telling? Engaging your followers with "behind the scenes" moments, polls, unpopular opinions, etc.. These things are the “non-negotiables” to building meaningful connections and having a loyal fanbase in the long run. 2. Veering off Topic Though creating interesting content in and within your niche is great, you must take heed not to veer off-topic. For example, I own an E-commerce business, then post thrice a week culinary skills or ballet dances. Do you think my followers will look forward to my posts? With time, people will stop associating with my posts and may even unfollow me because the content wasn’t what they signed up for. If you want to create content, it should be to satisfy your target audience. It must be relatable, compelling and engaging and if are unsure of what delights your customers, conduct a poll, give a freebie in exchange for information, etc. 3. Evading Criticism/Negative Feedback No matter how good your products/services are, there will always be dissatisfied customers. Instead of ignoring negative feedback, I make it a point to embrace criticism. However, in responding to criticism, it must be with caution. Always start by thanking the informant before professionally addressing the issue. Many companies deal with customer service on social media platforms efficiently. Where you have negative feedback, being transparent with your followers and customers can strengthen brand loyalty and raving fans. 4. Gaining followers for no defined reason When it comes to followers, my primary focus is always on quality rather than quantity. Instead of looking for black hat techniques to increase follower count, I prioritize making top-notch content. The aim is to attract high-quality followers. To achieve this, I rely on social media tools such as Hypefury (to see what the top leaders in my niche are up to), Facebook Insights (checks out for what my audience likes), Buffer (scheduling posts and gaining insights), and Agorapulse. These valuable tools provide essential metrics that can guide you in producing the right content, determining the best times to post, and identifying the most effective social media channels to utilize. 5. Acting like a Robot When it comes to handling customer queries on social media, there should be no room for robotic responses. If you give robotic responses, it can leave your followers feeling disconnected and unimportant. You should always have it at the back of your mind that every interaction matters. Social media is about building relationships and using a real person to respond is essential for fostering a genuine connection with your followers, strengthening loyalty and gaining conversions. Conclusion There are so many things I avoid in social media marketing like the list above, but knowing what to embrace is just as vital. If you want your online presence to grow, you must continuously evaluate your strategies, check out those who are doing well and try to find out what makes them thrive. You could learn a lot from them than any course could ever teach you. What other things do you think people should avoid on social media?