Small business owners are making use of social media as a marketing tool more than ever before. At first, social media was just a mere “socializing” app. Recently, however, social media is serving more than just one purpose and has even transformed into as a crucial business platform.
Most small business owners look forward to this highly popular tool as an inexpensive way to connect to existing customers as well as potentials.
Perks apart, social media, if used incorrectly, can actually hurt the potential of your business. Don’t make the following mistakes most small business owners make…
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Not Making Any Edits or Drafts:
Typing errors and minor mistakes in your captions and other promotional material is big mistake. Remember, this isn’t your personal profile. This is a business! Your fans and followers will most likely notice your gaffes, and will be highly unimpressed with the lack of professionalism. Pay attention to the details to avoid making mistakes that make you or your business appear amateurish.
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No Attention to Branding:
Branding your product/ service is the first step to giving your product/service value. Many small business owners fail to add more meaning to their offering by forgetting to attach it to a brand image. The brand is what makes your product different, it’s the promise you make about your quality/service, and it gives your product a POD (point of differentiation). Without branding, you are simply running a business just like any other competitor. Without branding, your product has no identity.
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Being Everywhere but Nowhere:
Many small business owners run the risk of harming their business at a very crucial time: the earliest stage. This is the stage during which you want to build a credible image and want to project that image consistently. Smaller business owners run the risk of damaging their business and reputation by signing up for more networks than they can manage. Trying to occupy as much social media space as possible is going to overwhelm you and undermine your efforts. Not every social media platform is best for a particular business. Starting out with just one or two (depending on what you can manage) main social media network(s)—after considerable research has been conducted to determine which one fits the business and the needs of the customers best—is sufficient. Posting frequently and consistently on those selected networks is important to ensure that your current customers stay in the loop.
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Neglecting Social Media Advertising:
Surely you must know about advertising on social media! For small business owner this is excellent opportunity to reach potentials and make their business stand out. Social media platforms provide you with a number of paid advertising options. Facebook is by far the most popular and effective advertising platform for all kinds of businesses. For more traffic, awareness, and conversions explore Facebook’s easy-to-use advertising tools. You can also use Twiitter to target your audience, gain more “tweets”, and track your followers to see how they engage with every Tweet. Visit LinkedIn’s small businesses resource center for advice on how to establish your brand presence using LinkedIn, connect with your customers, and share content through LinkedIn Ads and Sponsored Updates.
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Not Paying Attention to Negative Comments and Feedback:
Feedback is crucial to any business. Some small business owners make the mistake of not paying attention to negative comments or feedback at all. Not only will they “forget” to monitor negative comments that could hurt their online reputation, but they will also choose not to respond to it. It is acceptable, and in some cases, advisable to allow negative feedback to support transparency. However, it is also highly important to address the concerns of unsatisfied customers and respond to the problem immediately and handle it with utmost care. This simple act signifies responsibility, professionalism, and devoted service.
About the Author:
Skornia Alison works as a social media analyst for Essay Valley that offers Essay writing help. Due to her expertise in the field, she’s into exploring and analyzing trends and techniques on how digital social connectivity can be best put to use in diverse markets.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
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