Every new beginning comes with its own mistakes. The emerging market of social media is no exception. Sometimes mistakes are helpful, but only if you learn from them!
Here you will find a list of the 5 most common mistakes to avoid as you embark on the path of social media.
1. Not Developing a Solid Plan
Most companies social media campaigns fail based on the lack of a solid start up plan. Thoughtful planning is essential to ensuring your social media efforts will move in the right direction and eventually bring value and success to your business. Start with defining your goals and expectations, how much time and money you want to invest, and what resources you want to use. Once you have all these questions answered, it will be easier to visualize your future social media presence.
2. Not Being Committed
It’s quite easy to underestimate the amount of routine work that goes into a successful social media marketing planning and execution. It’s not a one time ad in a monthly magazine, social media presence doesn’t just stop when you finish your promotional campaign. It can be as easy as dedicating 15 minutes a day and 3 times a week to help keep your social media presence going. You really need to make a strong commitment in order to stay on track and achieve your initial goals.
3. Not Educating Yourself about Social Media
The nature of social media is about evolution and fresh ideas. New tools, devices, and solutions constantly appear on the market. What used to work for your business a year ago might have very little effect today. One of the biggest mistakes in social media is not investing enough time and effort into educating yourself and your employees about the latest changes and updates in social media. If you want your business to stay competitive online, it’s crucial to stay on top of the new trends in digital space that could have a huge impact on your future social media strategy.
4. Not Participating in Conversation
Many companies forget the fact that social media is about being SOCIAL and that it’s built on a two-way communication. Businesses start broadcasting information about their products and services without listening or engaging with the audience. There is only so much product promotion that any of us can take. What we usually care about and find interesting are the solutions to our problems and educational content. Connect with your audience by providing useful and valuable information, asking questions, and finding solutions to fit their needs. Doing this on a regular basis will help you to build strong and loyal relationships with your customer base and attract new prospects.
5. Not Monitoring and Measuring Your Online Presence
If you start doing something but you don’t exactly understand what the results of your actions will be – that’s a pretty big problem for a business. It all goes back to the beginning. When you have your goals set and you know what you are trying to achieve, it means you now have something to measure. As with any other aspect of business, it’s important to monitor and measure every aspect of your social media presence to make sure it’s worth the investment. Your social media efforts are only as good as the energy you put into them, and with the right tools and creative approach, you can ensure that you are getting enough value for your business.
What are the other social media mistakes that could be easily avoided?
Mariya Newman
Follow me on Twitter (@MariyaNewman) and add me on LinkedIn!
1. LinkedIn as an official “professional network” has become the most important recruiting tool for today’s job market. LinkedIn allows you to not only search for the active job hunters, but also find and engage with passive candidates.
2. Twitter is also a great tool for finding talent for your organization. You will be surprised how many people make connections and find amazing job opportunities through Twitter.
New Year – new Check-In for Charity Deal! We continue our Facebook and Foursquare Check-In for Charity campaign! Each time we receive a check-in on 
As December goes by it’s time to look back, evaluate your past mistakes and achievements, and set new goals for your business for the new year.
1. Start with reviewing and analyzing your social media profiles. Sometimes we get caught up in work and forget to make sure our social media presence is up to date. The new year is alway a good time to refresh the information about yourself and your business.
