5 Reasons Social Media is Failing your Business
It’s safe to say that after several years of social media being a daily staple that businesses have finally accepted that having a social presence is a marketing necessity. That however doesn’t imply that having a good social presence has become a priority. And all we hear are the complaints from the sidelines. Complaints from the organizations that do not put any money, effort, or know-how behind their social media “campaigns.”
“Social media is a waste of resources” - Lie
“I am not seeing ROI on Social Media” - For good reason
Above are two very popular statements I hear from companies in all industries. The truth is that companies are not properly utilizing these marketing platforms, and many are not properly supporting them.
A generic robotic page filled with generic articles, responses, stock photos, “salesy” material, and a lack of personality is the common social media business recipe. It's also the reason for lack of success.
Success on social media takes time, effort, money, and a team of people that know how to drive engagement, loyalty, and generate content that is worth people’s time.
The exact details of this strategy will waiver depending on the type of business that you operate and the type of customers that you have or plan to attract. Your message and campaign should be tailored to these people. Just like the target audience you’ve built and pursued for your actual business, your social media following is no different.
Why Social Media is Failing your Business:
- Lackluster effort – Social media for many small companies is a joint effort or a role shared by members that have different primary roles. The reason social media efforts are not working is because they are at the bottom of the priority totem pole. If you want social media to work for you and generate business you need to allocate the time. Make social media a priority or outsource it to someone else who will.
- Dry contrived content- Your content on social media is like your personality. If it’s dry, boring, and robotic people aren’t going to choose you to go out for a beer after work with you and they’re certainly not going to choose to follow you on social media. Throw a twist on your content, be a bit risky, and be authentic. Social media is an “after-hours” type atmosphere. Loosen up the tie and have a drink :)
- No support- You need to support your social media efforts with dollars. I am not one to suggest buying ads, boosts, or sponsored posts. That’s a crapshoot at this point with all the algorithm changes and stipulations. What I mean is you need to treat your social media efforts like any other marketing effort. Put some spend behind it. Offer exclusive deals, run contests for your customers, do giveaways, and make your customer base feel engaged and give them a reason to login. This doesn’t have to cost a bundle. It could be the cost of a pair of sporting event tickets or a gift certificate. Case and point is give something of value to your customers and they will give something back to you in return.
- Expecting immediate results – Before you expect to be successful in social media, think of how long it took you to be successful in any new endeavor. You need to be patient and you need to fail. You’ll slowly learn what works and what doesn’t, what your customers want vs what they cringe at. All of this trial and error should help to mold your campaign. That’s if you’re not quick to give up.
- Tip-toeing around buzzing subjects - This is a big one. Most brands are afraid to face conflict issues head on or get involved in touchy subjects. Unfortunately for them, these subjects get people enaged and draw attention. When brands get involved, spare yourself from politics and religion, the results can be great. People respect people and businesses that stand up for things they believe in. It builds character and integrity. Two things businesses can do utilizing social media. Yes, this can be tricky. But this also could make your social presence something that is highly sought out and also highly buzzworthy.
Goodluck !