We talk about the social media trends and practices we should pay attention to all the time! After all, as social media marketers, it’s our job to keep up with what’s going on.
We’ve got two brilliant posts on the blog already to help you put your best social media foot forward this year: How to master your content strategy in 2018 and 5 must know social media marketing trends for 2018.
That’s why I wanna do something a little different. In this post, we are going to take a look at some social media marketing practices that are still going on but you should definitely stay away from. Let’s go.
1. Posting the same stuff on different platforms
The way we spend time on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram is completely different. That’s why each post needs to be designed to capture the user based on how they use that specific platform. Plus, no one wants to see the same post everywhere.
Create each update with a specific audience in mind and think about how they scroll through the feed. While this can feel like a time drain, spending a bit of time adjusting your message can really help increase engagement and show your followers that you actually care.
2. Making it all about you
Social media is all about relationships. It’s about creating real connections on a human-to-human scale. Start by sharing complementary content that your followers will find userful, letting them know that you’re interested in helping them instead of just pushing your problems. Plus, building partnerships and relationships with complementary brands and content creators can help both of you reach a larger audience.
3. Not taking the time to build your brand’s voice
You are yourself no matter where you are and every interaction someone has with you is a direct reflection of who you are. The same is true for a business. That’s why your social media presence needs to be consistent across different channels.
Take a bit of time to develop your brand’s voice so that it can come across through every update. This will make your business feel more real and cohesive and give it a real personality that people can connect with.
4. Not using social media for customer service
The digital age changed people’s expectations about what a relationship with a brand should feel like. Now if someone asks a specific question on Twitter or wants to buy from you on Facebook, they expect the same level of customer service they’ll get on your site or in a store.
Integrating the different channels will help you create a seamless experience that really puts customers first (and helps you make more sales).
5. Treating social media as a side project
If social media marketing is going to work for you, it needs to be an integral part of your larger strategy. It can’t just be the thing you pass off to an intern because you feel you should be doing it.
To be effective, you need clear, trackable goals and a commitment to use every opportunity to promote your accounts. It needs to be an integral part of your larger marketing strategy, not the ugly duckling.
6. Fully automating everything
When marketing automation is done right, it is a beautiful thing! It allows us to understand our customers better and deliver the right content at the right time.
When it’s not…well, that’s a whole other story! Spammy, not-an-ounce-of-personalization type direct messages or post scheduled so far in advance that they are no longer relevant have no place in your marketing system.
Automate wisely, allow room for personalization and check in with your posting schedule once in a while to make sure the posts still work.
7. Ignoring video
If you haven’t added video to your social media marketing strategy, the time is now! Cisco predicts that by 2021, video will make up 82% of all internet traffic. Carve a slice of that traffic pie out for your business.
Using video doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Video creation tools like Vidyard’s GoVideo, Animoto and AdobeSpark can help you create screencasts or gorgeous animated videos. Here’s a more extensive list of budget-friendly tools and a simple guide on how to integrate video into your social media strategy.
Or, you can pull out that powerful device you have in your pocket and edit it on the go with an on-the-go editor like FilmoraGo.
This year, look into the type of video that works for you whether that’s going live for the first time, starting a full-blown YouTube channel or really diving into Instagram Stories. It’s time to find out what video can offer you!
8. Buying followers
Services claiming to increase your follower count overnight are everywhere… They are tempting because having a certain number of followers can be an effective form of social proof.
On the flipside, this practice can damage your business in the long run. Bought followers are unlikely to interact with you, leave meaningful comments or buy products.
The point of a social media presence isn’t to hit a set number of people, it’s to build a community interested in what you’ve got to offer. A community that will share and buy your products.
Building it can take time but a small community of people that love your stuff is better (and far more profitable) than a large number of fake followers.
9. Ignoring analytics
Just throwing out posts or creating social media marketing campaigns without strategy needs to stop. With all the marketing attribution and analytics tools available to us, there’s no excuse.
Create a way to really track social media ROI by using robust analytics and creating tangible, short term goals.
Grow your business with a strong social media marketing strategy
Make this year the best one yet by creating a social media strategy that embodies your brand. Connect with your followers on a human level, make content that actually solves their problems and try video (seriously).
What’s the thing you want to try this year? Let us know!
