You scroll on Instagram many times a day and must have observed that some videos have 2M likes while some have only 16 likes. The important thing here is that when you arewatching a 2M-like reel, you actually enjoy it; however, a 16- likes reel is rarely fun. This isn’t true for normal reels only; it is true for commercial reels and videos as well. However, if you are looking for a social media marketing agency in Siliguri to advertise your business on social media, you might be aiming for that ‘M’ word in your likes.
You are a small business; you do not have the budget of a big business to spare on a social media marketing agency. Additionally, you might also think that you can market your products on social media yourself, as it only entails making videos and uploading them on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms. But calls, messages, and orders elude your business, and you are wondering why.
In this blog, you will get to know what social media marketing mistakes your small business is making so that you can rectify them and start getting favourable outcomes.
No Strategy
Small businesses spend most of their time catering to customers, supervising the staff, or looking after their own chores, and thus, do not have a lot of spare time. So they post on social media only when they have some free time. Obviously, this would be without any strategy. While remaining active on social media is important, random posting rarely generates results.
You must sit and jot down your goals. For this, you can also take the help of a social media marketing agency in Siliguri. But if you are doing it yourself, then you have to decide: are you looking for fast but short-term customer onboarding, increasing the reach of your business, or driving website traffic? Without specific goals, it is difficult to create content that drives customers to your services.
Another fallacy is having no idea about your target audience. If you are unaware of your intended audience, the content may not resonate with the customers. You must research your customers’ interests, challenges, and their go-to platform to create relevant content.
The next important aspect to take care of is consistency. Posting many reels and videos at one go and then not posting in the subsequent days or weeks reduces user engagement and makes your brand appear inactive. You can maintain a regular posting schedule by maintaining a content calendar. In addition, you can try to create mixed content, including informational, promotional, entertaining, and community-focusedcontent.
All the above steps also align your marketing efforts with seasonal events, product launches, marketing campaigns, and industry trends. Instead of messing up at the last moment, you will have a structured plan that keeps your messaging consistent and your brand identity strong.
Finally, every post should have a clear message. It could be leaving a message, visiting your website, signing up for a newsletter, sharing the post, or making a purchase. With a clear purpose, the possibility of obtaining favourable results increases.
Prioritizing only Selling
Many small businesses post on social media solely from a selling point of view. They would either announce discounts, advertise products, or encourage customers to “ buy now “. This is one of the fastest ways to lose followers. While promoting is the primary purpose, an unending stream of promotional content can make your brand feel dreary and overly commercial.
Successful marketing strategists understand that it is important to create value before soliciting a purchase. By posting content that is entertaining, informational or helpful, you are establishing trust among your customers, and they start to see your brand as reliable rather than just another seller. Such posts encourage interaction, initiate conversations, and develop a lasting bond with your customers.
The cardinal rule is 80/20. Your 80% content should engage, inspire, educate, and entertain the audience, while 20% can be promotional. This healthy balance allows your customers to see your expertise and personality, and when you occasionally post offers, they pay attention!
Finally, you have to treat your social media space as a platform to build customer loyalty, thriving relationships, trust in your brand, and make sustainable sales over time.
Ignoring Audience Engagement
You might think that posting your content is the final task on social media. In reality, though, this is just the beginning of a long process of responding to user engagement. One of the advantages of social media marketing over traditional marketing is the two-way communication. If you relax after posting, you are missing valuable opportunities to encourage customer loyalty, strengthen client relations,and build trust.
If you see customers leaving a comment on your posts, watching your story and replying to it, or leaving reviews, that means your strategy is delivering results; however, if you do not interact with them, then it can damage your reputation and reduce engagement over time.
Engaging with your customers shows that they are valued, their response is respected, and that you appreciate their support. A polite thank you, a gentle comment, or an informational answer to a customer’s query goes a long way in building everlasting relationships. Even if the feedback is negative, you can show your professionalism by being polite and giving additional information that busts the myth that any user might be carrying regarding your services.
Interaction with your audience also increases your visibility on social media platforms as the algorithm favours pages that create conversations and engagement.
Trying to be on every platform
Another mistake that small businesses make is trying to be on all platforms at once. Since time and resources are only so much, you cannot spread too thin. Believing that more platforms mean more results is a myth that can cost you dearly.
Two problems are associated with this. One is that it results in inconsistent posting, inactive profiles, repetitive content, and slow responses fromthe customers. The second problem is that every platform has a different audience and content presentation style. What works on Instagram might not work on LinkedIn since the latter has more professional customers.
What you must do instead is to start with 1-2 platforms where your target customers are most likely to spend time. The next thing you can do is post consistently, like 2-3 times a week, rather than posting once a week on 5 different platforms.
Poor Quality Visuals
On social media platforms, users decide within seconds if they want to stop scrolling and dig deeper into a profile or read the information. For this, visuals play the most important role. High-quality visuals don’t always mean an expensive camera. It means clear, appealing, and relevant images and videos.
Some common mistakes that you can make are -
- Posting blurry photos - makes you look unprofessional.
- Overcrowded designs- too much text with too many colours makes it difficult to understand.
- No consideration of the mobile screen- you might have come across videos where the image or the text is running out of the frame. This happens when the design is done without paying attention to the safe zones.
- Inconsistent branding- using different colours, logos, styles, and fonts in every post does not give you a unique identification. Customers cannot imagine you through a particular colour or logo.
- Poor lighting- dark, unevenly lit, and overly bright colours make content look less appealing.
Chasing trends without relevance
Trends change weekly or monthly on social media. Same song with different content, a celebrity’s remarks with different captions, or a trending hashtag. However, not every trend is cut out for your business, audience, or goals. If the trend does not match your offerings, then it might look forced, confusing, or desperate for attention.
Chasing every trend can be a problem because -
- It might look inauthentic to users- customers can easily spot which brand is only trying to gain attention.
- Pulls the wrong audience- your reel may receive thousands of likes. However, potential customers might be few. High reach doesn't mean quality leads.
- Dilutes brand message- you must communicate clearly with the customer and show them what makes you distinct. Jumping from one trend to another can make your brand message unclear.
- Trends can backfire at times- sometimes, trends become controversial overnight or might hurt the sentiments of a particular community. Your business should not be embroiled in any such trend, as it damages a business's reputation faster than anything.
To decide whether to follow a trend or not, you should check if the trend is relevant to the brand, whether the customers will find it interesting, whether it supports the business naturally, and whether you will achieve a meaningful goal with it.
Epilogue
Social media can be a boon for a small business; however, it doesn’t mean you can post anything, anytime, anywhere. The key is to be relevant, consistent, and valuable to the customer. There is a high chance that you might make the above-mentionedmistakes before getting the desired results. To prevent these mistakes, you can hire a social media marketing agency such as Cyber Help India, which can hold your hand while you take baby steps in this field.
