How to Fail at Business and Social Media Marketing
I have begun to see three dangerous trends in the conversations about social media I’ve been having with business owners and marketers. And my friends, it’s a recipe for failure.
1. No Goals
2. Business Savior
3. Participation
1. No Goals
This is probably a very common thing with most businesses considering adding social media to their inbound marketing mix. When most people think of Facebook, Twitter, and maybe even LinkedIn, they picture people sitting around playing Farmville and sharing odd bits and pieces of their lives with others. This makes it difficult for most to see how using social media sites is of any benefit to their business.
If you’re going to start using social media to increase the awareness of your business, meet people, and generate traffic to your website, you are going to have to set specific goals. Your goals will then dictate what you do on these social media sites.
Do you want to create more readers of your blog? Post updates and links on Facebook and Twitter when your blog has been updated.
Also, consider running webinars and announcing them on your social media sites. What better what to get your message out to a hungry public?
No matter what you try or where you try it, do not be afraid to fail! Fail over and over, but don’t give up! Keep trying things until you hit on something. Thomas Edison failed at creating the light bulb thousands of times. And as he put it, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Failing at something moves you one step closer to what will work. Success! Social media (and Internet marketing in general) is no different.
2. Business Savior
This is a tough one. I have spoken to business owners who are about to go out of business and they hope social media will save them. I have not heard yet of a business being saved by social media. That’s not to say it hasn’t happened; I just haven’t heard of one.
I think if your business is struggling and you’re to the point where you hope Facebook or Twitter will save it, you’re probably too late. Social media needs to be a part of a wider, overall marketing plan, not the marketing plan.
Use your social media accounts to raise awareness, get some new eyes on your product or service, and use it to drive traffic to your website or blog. Don’t look at social media as your #1 marketing platform. You have to be realistic about it. And get started NOW! Don’t wait another day.
3. Participation
Maybe this heading should be called “Tenacity” rather than participation, but participating in social media is time consuming. Seriously. But it is also paramount to success.
You have got to Tweet regularly with Twitter, post to Facebook, write in your blog. You have to do it all the time, otherwise the gaps in your participation will cause people to lose interest in you.
Remember, thousands of other companies are competing for their attention too. Your audience will replace you with someone else very quickly (it’s easy enough to do after all). It’s very difficult to generate positive traction with your social media when you experience “audience churn.”
