Building an image requires a lot of time and patience. But there are a few ways through which this brand building process can be accelerated. Using social media to provide a boost to the popularity of one’s sites is a proven method. It does not take a lot for content to go viral. It needs to be of good quality, should be catchy and needs to be displayed on the right places. Luck plays a big factor in content going viral too. Even though your popularity does not spread like wild fire, a presence on social media sites is necessary for today’s business. You go where the customers go and social media sites are where the customers are currently are.
Paris wasn’t built in a day but Paris definitely can be destroyed in a day. In fact this actually happened with half of London in World War Two. However not digressing too much from the topic at hand, there are a few things that should always be taken care to avoid a free fall of one’s brand equity on social media sites. Here are 10 social media blunders that should be avoided at all costs.
1. Being unresponsive
Curiosity does not kill the cat here; being unresponsive does. Try to respond to as many comments and feedbacks as possible. It obviously becomes harder with an increasing number of followers and trashy comments becoming commonplace. But the point of having a social media presence is to engage with the community which will not be possible if you keep delivering a one-sided tirade.
2. Biting more than one can chew
Know your limits. You do not need to have a presence on every social media outlet at once. As mentioned before being responsive is essential and that will not be possible if one goes all out without the required personnel and resources. Plan well.
3. Do not become the wolf of Facebook i.e. do not try to over-sell.
You are not Leonardo Dicaprio and neither is the audience watching a movie. It is a social platform. Be social. Engage. And do not just thrust your products blindly down people’s throats.
4. Do not be the lamb either
Have a proper strategy about who to focus on, what to focus on and how to go about it.
5. Not having a fixed set of goals
You need to have established parameters against which to measure success/failure. A clear goal like having this many followers or a certain number of shares and likes of one’s post on Facebook in a limited timeframe will help in keeping track of one’s progress. Otherwise it is easy to get lost in the social media universe.
6. No Presence on social media platforms apart from Facebook
Social media does not only mean Facebook. Quora, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Google+ and the like have many loyal users too who do not use Facebook. Make use of them.
7. Ignoring SEO
Search Engine Optimisation helps on social media too. Any Google search brings up many links from social media sites too. Hence using appropriate keywords and SEO friendly articles should be kept in mind even here.
8. No option of sharing Web content on Websites
Having a social media page is virtually of no use if you do not have a link on your website that lets people share the website’s content on social media. Small Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram icons along with every web post are a necessity.
9. Not having a working knowledge of how each social media works
For example Hashtags need to be used on Instagram and can be used on Facebook to get a topic in the ‘trending’ list. Pin boards on Pinterest need to informative and catchy while posts on LinkedIn need to be a tad formal and informative. The same post will not be suitable for every social media site as each of them have different personalities and a different audience. Understand how the site works and how does it cater to the people’s needs and then use that for your benefit.
10. Personal Rants
Do not voice personal opinions over Social Media. You are there to do a job i.e. increasing your brand visibility. Focus on that. If you want to change how politics works or criticize government policies, do it elsewhere. Everything has their place and only personal profiles have the right to rant about things on social media. Do not let those large numbers of followers make you feel like the King of the world. The crowd is fickle and can turn against you anytime.
