Social Media Mistakes

For this post I am going to look at a Fox News article about the 5 worst social media mistakes for small businesses.  The article can be found here.

1. Turning up the volume without monitoring the dials.
This mistake is when you jump into social media without first observing the social environment.  Companies need to watch whats going on in the social environment to make sure their social media campaigns and messages are appropriate for that site.

2. Using too many social media platforms
This mistake applies to small businesses who do not have the time and resources to be effective across many social media channels.  Instead companies should try for quality over quantity.  Choose one or two social channels and focus on those.

3. Ceding control to digital natives
The moral of this mistake is make sure the person in charge of your social media is trained and will be an effective spokesperson for your company.  Just because the college intern knows how to use twitter doesn't mean they have the experience to communicate effectively with your followers.

4. Creating content that's all about you
Your messages should inform, amuse, or be of interest to your followers.  Don't use social media just as a platform to push your company or products.  You should be focusing on building awareness and relationships.

5. Ignoring customers who raise their hands
This is a very important mistake especially with complaint management.  Customers are providing you with free feedback, so make sure to take advantage of it.  In addition, do not ignore customers who complain.  The article was spot on, and most times angry customers just want an apology.  Your goal should be to turn dissatisfied customers into brand advocates.