You don’t have to be the most tech-savvy business owner to know how important social media can be for business growth. After all, over 90% of US marketers in companies with 100+ employees were using social media for marketing purposes by 2021. That wouldn’t be the case if it wasn’t translating to new customers and increased sales.  

However, simply being on social media doesn’t mean you’ll reap its rewards. Many business owners create accounts on various platforms, use them wrong, and then blame the platforms when they don’t have customers lining up to buy their offerings.  

In reality, you can misuse platforms that are otherwise highly effective for small businesses and large corporations. If you’re curious about whether your social media presence is all it could be, consider whether you might be making these common social media mistakes:  

Not Posting Engaging Content 

You might see a large text box for you to post text on your social media accounts, but that doesn’t mean text is all you should post. Paragraphs of words are easy to miss as prospective customers browse their newsfeeds. Even if you’ve got something interesting to say, there are no guarantees that the right people will read it.  

Get creative and develop something engaging, and you might be surprised by how easy it can be to captivate your audience. Many business owners create funky graphics or hire companies to make them for them. Other business owners reach out to video production Sydney businesses and those in other parts of the world to create engaging video content.  

Whether you’re trying to share a message, highlight a service, or sell a product, you might have far more luck doing it with visual content. Studies seem to support that idea. Social media platforms are designed to capture human attention, and online videos have become one of the main formats of consumer content on the internet.  

Prioritizing the Hard Sell 

You’ve likely joined social media to sell your products and services. That’s your number one intent. However, many social media users don’t want the hard sell. While there’s nothing wrong with sharing your products and services on your social media accounts, that shouldn’t be all you use your platforms for.  

Instead, use them to engage with your audience, provide industry information, build trust, and form meaningful connections with your target market. With enough confidence in your brand, customers can naturally transition from being followers to customers.  

Not Focusing On Customer Pain Points 

Customers have problems, and they want businesses to solve them. A common mistake many business owners make on social media and their websites is focusing too much on what they offer and not enough on what customers need. It all comes down to wording.  

For example, if your business offers lotions and creams to stop itchy skin, you might talk about how smooth, creamy, and high-quality your creams are for itchy skin. In reality, customers might be more likely to have their curiosity piqued if they’re asked, ‘Don’t you want to be free of your itchy skin?’ You can be the solution provider at that moment. Focus on customer pain points to lure in prospective customers and leave the ‘hard sell’ to last. Take the opposite approach, and you might struggle to engage them in the first place.  

Not Hiring Professionals to Help 

You might be an expert regarding your business’s products and services. However, that doesn’t mean you’ll be a social media marketing expert who can create engaging videos, posts, and branding.  

As tempting as taking a ‘DIY’ approach to social media marketing can be, it’s not always recommended. Poor-quality videos, imagery, and graphics might make consumers question whether you’re the right business for their needs. While you might need to establish a marketing budget to pay professionals, it can be worth it when your business looks professional and stands out for all the right reasons.  

Posting Inconsistently on Social Media

Most business owners know that social media can increase their online visibility, target audience engagement, and brand awareness. After all, the more potential customers see your business branding, the easier it will be to recall you in their minds when they need your products or services.  

That’s why inconsistent social media posts can often be a bad idea. If customers rarely see you in their newsfeeds, they may be less likely to remember you when they need things you have to offer. Fortunately, consistency is an easy fix. You can use a calendar and scheduling tool, set aside time in your day for social media posting, or outsource the job to an expert to do it for you.  

Not Responding to Comments 

Posting can feel like a bit of a chore. You know other business owners are doing it, so you think you should, too. So, you post a graphic, video, or text, then carry on with your day before repeating the process in a few days. 

However, there’s more to social media posting than simply posting. You also have to make time to engage with your audience. If potential customers comment on your post, ask questions, or share their experiences, make the time to reply to them. Building this connection with your target audience might help you turn curious followers into loyal customers.  

Duplicating Content on Social Media

Management tools give you the option to post content on multiple platforms with the click of a button. It’s fast, easy, and preferred by time-poor business owners. However, this may not be the best approach for everything you post. If your loyal customers follow you on multiple platforms, they may tire of seeing identical posts across all your social media accounts.  

Consider utilizing different platforms for different things. For example, you might explore Instagram for your small business to share videos and pictures of everything you have to offer. Facebook might be your go-to platform for customer engagement, while TikTok might be where you show that your business has personality.     

Social media can be an effective and powerful tool for many business owners to boost engagement and enjoy new customers. However, it can be more effective for some people than others. Avoid these mistakes above, and you might reap the many rewards social media platforms have to offer.