Kseniya I. Content Marketing Expert

5 social media mistakes that will cost your brand a pretty penny

Social media marketing has been around for a long time and sometimes you can see strange and even unpleasant ads. It makes you think and shake your head in disbelief. There are countless ways to use social media effectively, but there are also many ways to unknowingly ruin your brand's reputation. Here are five common mistakes brands make in their social media communications.

1. Focus on products, not customers

Many brands fall into the trap of talking too much about their accomplishments and not enough about customer needs. This can turn off potential customers. Companies that successfully implement customer experience projects start by focusing on how they collect and analyze customer feedback, according to Gartner research. No matter how well made or flawless your product is, if your customers don't see value in it, it doesn't matter.

2. Equal treatment for all social networks

While all social media channels provide opportunities to engage with your audience, not all of them reach the same target audience or even serve the same purpose. Many brands post completely different topics on different social networks. It is important to understand that each social media channel has its own language, customs and audience.

Instagram supports aesthetically pleasing content, high-resolution photos, and short Reels videos. Facebook's posting algorithm rewards videos so they will rank higher than other content as well as blog summaries. Twitter started out as a text-only platform and it still works well for this channel. Links to blog articles and breaking news like press releases also work well on Twitter. With the right content, you can attract and build your audience fairly easily. Tailoring your content to your audience must be strategic.

3. Lack of social media monitoring for suggestions, complaints or product requests

One of the things that many social media managers enjoy is interacting with the audience in the comments section and engaging in private messages. This shows the openness of the brand and reassures the audience that they are being seen and heard.

To maintain customer satisfaction today and not harm advertising, brands using social media must actively monitor what their customers are saying. Even the best business can come across as bad by ignoring the social media channels where customers talk about it.

“71% of consumers who have a positive social media experience with a brand are more likely to recommend it to their friends and family.” — Forbes.

Social media is a powerful force. When used correctly, they can be a tool to attract new customers, or they can create a bad reputation if you don't respond to an offended customer who left a negative review. This mistake can cost you a lot of money.

4. Following trends that don't align with brand value

The struggle between standing out and being trendy is a delicate balance. Ironically, nothing turns an audience off like when a business tries too hard to get their attention. Not all trends are beneficial for all brands, and just because you can do it doesn't mean you can do it well. Be brave and take risks, but don't forget that a failed experiment can cost your audience.

5. Lack of a measurable call to action in social media posts

Did you know that adding a call to action to your social media posts can increase engagement by 55%? Include short links to a resource, web page, or blog post in your posts, something that can be measured. Developing a standard call to action will help you make the difference between insignificant and truly significant results.

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