Social media, such as Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIN, are some of the least expensive, yet so often mis-used ways companies can use to increase their sales.

Due to the fact that just about anyone can open, for example, a Facebook page, and start posting, the barrier to start using social media is just about non existent.

I’ve also seen many companies make mistakes that are hurting their brands using social media.

Here are the 5 biggest mistakes I’ve seen companies make on social media:

1. Overselling

One of the biggest mistakes marketers often make is pushing their brand too hard. Don’t be overly promotional and forget to share some value-added content. Showing the consumer you care about their well-being, regardless of whether they buy your product, is critical to developing a loyal fan base.

2. Not using high quality images and texts

Many times your website or social media posts will be the first thing someone sees from your company. Whether it’s fair or not, people will judge you immediately based on the quality of your post and images. If your images are low quality, they will believe that you offer a low quality product or service. If your texts have spelling errors, they will believe that your service will be just as bad.

3. Deleting or not responding to comments

Social media are frequently used as a replacement for regular advertisements. However, the big power of social media is to allow your customers to interact with your brand in a way that was not possible in the past. Your customer has questions that need to be answered, concerns that need to be addressed and wants to know that you care about him or her, NOT only about their money.

4. Isolating social media marketing from other activities.

In order for social media marketing to reach its full potential, it has to be tied in with a business’s website, blog, product pages, and other digital platforms.

5. Not defining goals and measuring results

It is very important that you define WHAT you want to achieve with social media. For example: 10 new customers per month, 100 newsletter registrations or 25 participants for your next workshop

Whether you’re getting positive or negative results, analyzing and understanding your performance is crucial to a successful marketing campaign. But remember, it’s not just about getting more followers, comments, likes, etc. You can be growing your account every month, but if your effort isn’t translating into sales revenue, lead generation, growing your email subscriber list or whatever your goal is, you are wasting your time.

Want to do it right?

At SPIN we have a special 6-month social media marketing package that will help you get the most out of your social media efforts.

To find out more, contact us today!