Most print and embroidery shops are aware that a professional social media presence is a key marketing strategy, but with so many platforms, algorithms, and updates to consider it’s no wonder businesses can lose their way.
There are plenty of tips on how to get started and how you should do it, but not as much help on what not to do. In this post we’ll explore the common mistakes that can hinder follower growth and engagement or worse still, damage the credibility of a brand. So let’s get to it with our guide to avoiding social media faux pas.
Sin 1 – Getting too personal
Whilst showing some personality makes for a more fun and engaging account, it’s important not to get too personal. Before you publish a post consider whether it is relevant to your business or your market. Does the post align with the image that you wish to portray? Is it of use or of benefit to your business or your customers? If the answer is no, then try a different post.
Keep your profile professional by refraining from posts around sensitive, religious or political issues. Doing so can alienate customers and a invite heated debate that could damage your reputation. Think about whether the sample print your showing could offend or polarize a customer before you hit publish. Unless you target a specific niche in a potentially controversial space, then it’s best to keep these views clear of your business profile.
Sin 2 – Incomplete profile
If someone discovers you through social media but can’t access further information or contact you, they’ll become frustrated and move on. Ensure the effort you put into your social media content is backed up by a complete profile including a link to your website, a brief description of your services and your contact details as a minimum.
Sin 3 – Ignoring comments
More and more consumers are taking to social media to share their positive and negative experiences, to discover and research brands and to resolve their customer service issues. Regularly monitor your posts so that you can respond promptly to comments (within one hour is ideal). Take the time to reply to positive feedback and if the feedback is negative, don’t miss the opportunity to remedy the situation. Your other followers will be looking on to see how you handle complaints as this reflects how much you care about your business and your customers.
Only delete a negative comment if it is offensive or abusive; otherwise, it will only infuriate the customer and throw your integrity into question with the onlookers. Acknowledge their concern, be honest, and if it can’t be quickly resolved in the comments then let them know you will contact them via direct message.
Sin 4 – Rarely posting or posting too much
Post too little and you’re followers may lose interest and unfollow you. Worse still, they may wonder if you’re serious about your business and indeed whether you are still operating. On the flip side, posting too much can appear spammy and annoy your followers by clogging up their feeds. Set aside time each day or a block of time each week to schedule out your posts. One or two posts per day is ideal.
Sin 5 – Poor use of hashtags
Clever use of relevant hashtags is a great tactic to increase the visibility of your posts however, avoid overuse and take caution with trending hashtags. Although it’s tempting to get in on a trend, make sure you do your research first. Many a brand has damaged its reputation by jumping on an irrelevant or highly sensitive topic such as these brands.
Sin 6 – Buying followers
However attractive it may seem to buy followers and quickly boost your follower numbers, the quantity of followers isn’t important. Having followers that care about your business, engage with you and that are likely to purchase from you is what counts. It is far better to take the time to slowly and steadily build your following with people that are genuinely interested, than to buy a bunch of followers that have zero interest in what you say or do.
Sin 7 – Not focussing on your audience
The purpose of social media is to be sociable, not to have a one-sided conversation. Sure, the whole idea is to promote your business and attract customers, but if every post is too salesy you will turn off your followers. Focus on building relationships with your audience by providing engaging content, valuable tips, humour, news and stories. When you post a sample of your work, offer a little insight into your process, the care and attention to detail your team take, the technique, the story behind the design or the customer. In this way you’re still promoting what you do, but you’re leaving them with something more lasting and inviting conversation.
When planning your posts put some thought into who you would like to do business with. Are there markets you enjoy working with or that you would like to attract? Plan content around the interests of these markets. What content would they find useful, entertaining and inspiring? What aspirations could you help them achieve? What challenges could you help them solve?
For example, if you want to do more printing and embroidery for fitness brands, post content that would resonate and position you as an authority in this space, such as:-
Still not sure what to post or if you should publish a post you’ve created? Buffer created this clever little 12-Step Social Media Checklist.
All the best with your social media efforts and feel free to share your experiences in the comments.
from DecoNetwork Blog https://www.deconetwork.com/blog/7-deadly-social-media-sins/
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