If you want your business to stay relevant these days, you have to be putting effort into a social media marketing strategy.
Consumers spend a lot of their time on social channels like Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.
Businesses that engage with their followers on these platforms see a lot of growth and increased sales.
It is an excellent way to market your brand to today's consumer.
When you connect to your customers on social media, you are building relationships.
That can mean the difference between a customer for now and a customer for life.
There are many companies that make an effort to be social online and are great at it.
But many others are making a lot of blunders that can be doing more harm than good.
Here are five things that you shouldn't be doing on social networks when you want to see more positive results: Don't talk so much Sure, as a company, you have a lot of things to tell your followers.
That doesn't mean they want to see one lengthy post after another from you in their news feeds.
Visual content has a much greater impact and incites a higher level of engagement from your followers.
So, instead of just typing up something that people will quickly scroll past, post an image, a video or an infographic that will get more attention.
Don't tweet before you think You need to stay on top of the latest trends if you want to stay relevant.
On Twitter, a topic that is hot today can be forgotten tomorrow, so be ready to take advantage of it immediately.
Look at what is trending and find a way to make it fit with your brand.
See what hashtags are seeing a lot of use each day and include them in your tweets.
Don't believe that all social media is the same Social media channels are all unique, so don't try to fit one type of post into all of them.
First, make sure that you are using the networks that make the most sense for your brand.
If your target audience spends a lot of time on Facebook and Pinterest, then that is where you need to focus your efforts.
Curate your content to match with each platform.
Images work well with most channels, but what you write in your description on Pinterest shouldn't be what you post with in your status update on Facebook.
Don't ignore your followers This is true whether you are getting positive or negative feedback.
Since it has become so easy for consumers to reach out to their favorite brands on social media, it has become the top means of communicating both compliments and complaints, and people expect some type of response.
Do not ignore the people who take time to connect with you.
If you see a complaint, address it quickly.
If you receive a glowing compliment, express your gratitude.
Show your followers that you are listening.
Don't forget to act natural What sets you apart from other brands on social media is how you act.
People do not want to follow a brand that sets up automatic updates all month and never engages.
Let your personality shine through with your interactions on all of your social channels.
Do not use these platforms only to push your products.
Have fun with your followers.
Start contests, post fun videos, encourage them to interact with your brand.
Social media is one of the best tools available for your business.
It takes marketing to a whole new level, one that is fun and interesting every day that you work at it.
How are you making the most out of social media for your brand?