Recent statistics reveal that slightly over 20% of the world’s population uses Facebook and that almost 95% of all Pinterest users are there to buy. Inexperienced companies tend to look at these stats and decide to throw everything they have at a social media strategy. Most end up with a see-what-sticks-to-the-wall strategy which, of course, inevitably fails. Then, when this ridiculous strategy does fail, they tend to blame their social media team or consultants or they decide that social media marketing isn’t worth all of the hype because their ROI was just about zero. Here are just a few reasons why your social media strategy is stuck in neutral or is a total failure.
- Volume doesn’t matter nor do “likes” and followers. All that really matters to your social media marketing success is that you are on the right platforms delivering the right content and messages at the right time. Remember, your social media marketing exists for one reason only and that is to drive traffic to your site. If it isn’t doing that then you are employing the wrong approach.
- Like your SEO marketing efforts, your social media strategy needs to be developed and deployed slowly and your ROI will increase over time. Those who are looking for a quick fix or for instant gratification are in the wrong line of work. The first thing is to cover your proverbial basics. Who exactly are your customers and where are they likely to be found? Social media platforms are hardly a one size fits all except for Facebook perhaps. All of the others have specific audiences who are there because they are interested in certain products, pursuits and services.
- Most social media marketing disasters happen because companies are not telling the story of their brand. It is all about the story. It is all about them getting to know you and trust you. And in this path, staying consistently in touch and contact with the target audience is critical to your success. Telling your story as well as engaging with them both in chat and content will begin to drive them to your site. Finally, taking the time to study and deploy a targeted paid advertising campaign will, most assuredly, boost your ROI in the long run. Remember, in the end, your social media marketing is not a cost but an investment in your company’s future.
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
