For small businesses with tight control over resources and budgets, delving into social media might seem daunting and almost an impossible task.
But, however overwhelming it may appear, in a digital-driven environment, social media should be an essential part of your marketing strategy.
Any small business aiming to expand its audience and build connections must embrace social media. However, it needs to be done right to achieve optimal results and contribute to business growth.
Before you dive right in, take a look at these 5 pitfalls your small business should steer clear of when implementing your social media strategy.
Posting ‘Self-promotion’ Content Too Often
If you take a look at some successful social media profiles such as innocent (smoothies) or Monzo Bank, you’ll notice most of the posts and content shared don’t directly promote their services or products.
That’s because they’ve thought out their social strategy by understanding the audience’s needs and wants before their own.
Audiences don’t want to see advertisements on social media. As a small business, you must develop a strategy with engaging content ideas that don’t conform to just self-promotion.
Creating Company Profiles on All Social Media Platforms
Why give yourself so much work to do when resources are tight?
When it comes to choosing the right platform, you need to do some market research and discover where your target audience is mainly based. After finding out what platforms they use, focus your time and effort on these.
Abandoning Your Social Media
Too often, small business social media profiles are deserted, tarnishing the company’s reputation and reflecting poorly on its commitment to customer service.
Social media needs to be continuous. If company changes affect your social media commitment, then consider downscaling your resources and reducing content posting.
Targeting Too Broadly When Utilising Paid Social
Working with a small budget, it may seem like a good idea to target as wide of an audience as possible, but you won’t achieve effective results.
Platforms like Meta and LinkedIn offer a variety of targeting and retargeting features, allowing you to pinpoint your target audience when promoting.
Don’t waste your budget on an audience that would never buy your services or products.
Relying on the Wrong KPIs
Putting too much merit in a KPI that doesn’t reflect your goal can be disastrous for small business growth.
For example, if you ran a campaign promoting a 5-minute read that receives an overwhelming number of views, it might initially seem successful. However, this success becomes redundant if analytics reveal that the actual time spent on the page is significantly less than the intended 5 minutes.
As you embark on your 2024 social media journey, keep these insights in mind to ensure that your efforts not only resonate with your audience but also contribute meaningfully to the growth and success of your small business.
If you need help breaking into the world of social media, talk to us today by emailing us at hello@atomicboost.co.uk or calling us on 0115 882 0890.
Posted on 13th February 2024 by Jack Wilkinson
