Last Updated on Apr 22, 2013 by Jenna Scaglione
Are you turning customers away from your social profiles?
Sadly, it’s not uncommon to find brands committing the same crimes over and over without realizing the damage they are doing to their brand. Reputation is like gold online and brands must preserve it as much as possible.
Ecommerce brands may see social media as their Achilles’ heel, or the one strategy they know they must use, but they hate to invest time and resources into it.
This attitude is what is evident in many social media profiles. And it is represented by the following mistakes…are you guilty of any?
1. Infrequent, Boring Updates
You can see the lackluster attitude of business owners when updates spring up once every few weeks. And worse, the updates are links to the blog or the brand’s website.
If you do not have time for social media, either hire someone to manage it or do not start a profile in the first place. Social media is centered on building relationships. Imagine you or your spouse only spoke to one another once every month. I can assure you the attraction and relationship would be headed in a southerly direction!
It’s OK to have a lapse of time every now and then, but continuous lags will not appear professional.
2. Too Much Clutter
On the other site of the coin, we have the profiles that post incessantly, over and over, without regard for clogging up Facebook fan’s and tweeter’s feeds.
Similar to the example of the spouses, consider your social interactions like a relationship. Imagine you attended a party and you started a conversation with a prospect who may have an interest in your products. If for the next 20 minutes you continue to speak without letting the other person even get a word in, you will turn that person away. Online, you may even have the reputation of a “spammer.”
Exercise caution. There are many rules flying around the internet telling brands when and how many times to post. I generally consider my audience first. As a general rule, avoid tweeting or posting more than a few times a day, unless of course, your audience is highly exciting and expects more. Also, I find tweeters can stand more posts than Facebook fans. And Google+ is similar to Facebook.
3. Overzealous Selling
You are not on social media sites to blatantly sell. You will increase sales by marketing on these sites, but not by “hypeing” your products. Your fans will be attracted to your brand if you engage with them and offer value. And, when it comes time to purchase, they will remember your brand.
Avoid “overselling”. Social users are there to interact and communicate only. My general rule of thumb is 90% content / 10% sales.
4. One-Sided Conversations
When you post on social sites, expect a response. Don’t post just to fulfill a “posting quota.” Your fans will know you are not genuinely interested in giving them value.
If someone comments, reply back acknowledging them. Ask posts with questions to garner more responses. Request feedback. Join the conversation!
Are you guilty of any of these mistakes? What strategies do you use to boost your social media marketing and attract more customers?