Find out 8 common social media branding mistakes that most businesses tend to make at the very start of their journey. Learn how to build a spotless business reputation through social media networking.
Today, 3.5 billion people are active users of social media. They spend at least 3 hours a day on social networks and messaging, with 54 percent of users researching products and services. This growing use of social media makes it a contributing factor to business development.
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How to Avoid Social Media Branding Mistakes?
Social networking appears to be an essential part of brand awareness. Lots of users rely on social media to form an opinion about products and services. Therefore, every business that strives to win consumers’ hearts should first mind their online reputation that is shaped by many things.
The rulebook of smart social media networking below will let you understand how to promote a brand online and use social media opportunities with intelligence.
1. Run no more than two social media accounts
There is a multitude of social media channels to use for business purposes. However, one or two social media sites are enough to help your brand grow quickly. Many startups stumble when they decide to build profiles on all popular platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc.).
Before setting up social media accounts, it is important to analyze your target audience’s behavior and define what sites are most popular with them. For example, if your business activity is focused on providing valuable information and intellectual assistance in the field of finance, banking, or law, you should opt for LinkedIn or Twitter that are best for sharing professional advice.
In contrast, if your company promotes beauty products or design services, you should work with the sites emphasizing the role of visual elements in users’ profiles. Here, Instagram or Facebook is an ideal choice.
2. Respond to negative feedback correctly
Your business reputation is not made up of positive reviews alone. The negative feedback of disgruntled customers is equally important. Where many new businesses fail is their inability to deal with customer complaints. Some of them prefer ignoring negative comments and take into account only the words of appreciation.
However, it is wrong to disregard dissatisfied customers because people talk and word of mouth sometimes appears to be more effective than subtle and engaging ad campaigns.
You cannot change negative customer experiences, obviously, but you can engage with displeased customers just to handle their disappointment and show you care about them. It is necessary to analyze every single case of bad customer service and take a lesson from it. This will help you improve the brand’s image and online reputation.
3. Avoid overloading customers with content
Yes, any SMM specialist will tell you that it is vital to keep social media regularly updated because this way your audience gets to know your brand better. But there is a blurred line between staying in touch with potential customers and flooding their news feed with your posts.
The number of posts to publish on social media accounts varies from one site to another: LinkedIn requires 1 post per week, while Instagram needs 1-2 posts per day. What you should keep in mind is that every post has to be relevant, concise, and with moderate prevalence of self-advertisement. Do not start writing about your brand at once but give value that your audience expects to see on your pages first.
4. Keep track of social media metrics
They say that the more followers you have, the more profitable your business. In fact, it does not work like that. A high number of followers do not guarantee extreme revenues. To get a genuine image of whether your brand’s influence grows, you should check metrics that give insights into business performance.
Good metrics usually show that a bounce rate decreases, while conversion increases. There are many more useful figures like click-through rate, ROI, and reach. By analyzing your social media metrics, you will see your company’s vulnerabilities and based on that will be able to come up with the right strategy for building a spotless brand image and enhancing your business reputation.
5. Hire only professionals to manage social media profiles
Your business reputation is also a result of your marketing team’s efforts. Now every other person uses social media websites, but that does not make them professionals. When it comes to business development, not many people possess relevant expertise to manage social media profiles well. Make sure every employee in your company is qualified and competent in what they do. By hiring laymen, you risk losing your audience’s trust or
6. Formal communication may discourage your online audience
Those companies choosing way too formal communication with their online clients may find themselves in serious trouble. All those chat robots and poor customer support representatives who often express a lot of hypocrisy in their polite phrases do not work in terms of social media approach.
Modern people expect to get a sincere response from the company when they have a question for you. Generic answers with formal communication style create the feeling of a dialogue with the robot, which is definitely not what you expect to achieve.
Hence, it can be beneficial to avoid the abundance of formal phrases and speak to your potential customers from social media in a manner that you would like to hear yourself being on a client side. Overall, your communication must remain professional but not overly formal and faded.
7. Remember about user privacy and security
If you are scared of tarnishing your business reputation, there is another rule to keep in mind: never disclose customers’ confidential information even if it is a disgruntled customer.
Those companies that use their customers’ private information in ad campaigns end up in court proving their innocence or paying compensation for moral damage. This is why you should be extremely careful with your clients’ data and make sure their privacy is not invaded by your marketing team.
There are security risks on the other side too. Unsecured social media accounts are usually at risk of identity theft or cyber-attacks. Unless you use security protocols, your social accounts can be attacked by canny cybercriminals.
8. Images are a priority
Finally, you should always combine engaging content with visual elements. Even when your audience is interested in the information you provide, it is still desirable to post images. The engagement rate is higher on those pages with numerous visual elements, such as images or infographics.
The most successful social media profiles are never dry and dull. They keep the user engaged in content but at the same time allow them to enjoy your posts and benefit from your pages.
How to promote a brand quickly?
Social networks provide businesses with a multitude of opportunities. However, not every company harnesses the potential of social media smartly. It is easy to make social media websites work against your brand image when you do not stick to the rules above.
If your objective is to enhance your business reputation through social media networking, the best option is to launch a big marketing campaign. But it is imperative to analyze your audience’s behavioral patterns before. Do not forget that you should entrust your social media accounts to specialists only because laymen won’t be able to manage them effectively.
Social media are a key to quick business growth. With these eight rules in mind, you will improve your online reputation in no time and lead your company to success in the long run.
- The Guide to Avoid Social Media Branding Mistakes - March 24, 2020