Social media marketing is one of the most effective ways to raise brand awareness and lead people to your company. Executed well, it can help you create a solid community, grow your business and enjoy success. At the same time, there are also certain problems that need to be taken into account and obstacles that might impede the achievement of your social media marketing goals. These fall into three main categories and come with very distinct possible solutions.
Failure to Understand Social Media
Marketers often forget the chief purpose of social media, which is to bring Internet users together, thus giving them the chance to interact, share content and discuss topics that interest them. It is not a way for business owners to get to the top.
On the contrary, such obvious efforts are quickly ignored as social network users want to learn, find inspiration, converse and have fun, not have products and services sold to them. With this in mind, get to know social media thoroughly, and try to understand its use and purpose. Understanding its purpose is the only way to use it to your advantage.
The Solution
Good social media marketing requires in-depth knowledge of its organization and a solid plan of how it can be used to achieve business goals. Remember that you should not just share information with those who use social networks; you should be taking part in the conversations yourself. You should read blogs, watch videos, have an active presence on the networks and perhaps even go through some proper training.
Before attempting to promote your business on the various networks, think about social media marketing not as a temporary solution that will get you traffic now, but as a real, long-term strategic plan that will help you get closer to your audience and convert visitors into customers.
Inconsistent Contribution to Networks
Marketers are very often not consistent with their participation in social media, which is what’s preventing them from building a steady fan base. The secret to a successful blog is to post new, engaging and fresh content daily. The same goes for the social networks where you’re blogging about your products or services.
If you don’t have the time to share material with your readers on a daily basis, then they will forget all about you. They will most likely go somewhere else for what they can’t get from you—perhaps your competitors.
The Solution
If you don’t want to risk losing visitors and potential customers, make sure you have a very specific social media marketing schedule that you stick to no matter what. If you don’t have the necessary time for it (as it can be rather time-consuming) then why not hire someone else to do it? Look for a content writer and curator who can post for you regularly.
If you’d prefer to do it yourself, then remember to always be consistent and engage your readers so that they choose to come back the next day. Make sure you have something even better waiting for them when they do.
Faceless Relationships with Consumers
One of the most common social media marketing problems that business owners face has to do with lack of personalization. Although you may think that speaking on behalf of your team and signing posts collectively shows good team spirit, the truth is that your customers take it as being faceless.
If you refrain from becoming personal, offering opinions and taking active part in discussions, this may cost you what you need the most: a targeted audience that trusts you.
The Solution
Make sure there is always a name behind your posts: someone who really knows your brand and niche and who is going to put in the necessary time. This person should work as your spokesperson, get to know your target audience and existing customers well, and should spend time becoming familiar with their needs.
He or she should collect feedback and personal information through social media, and build strong, trustworthy relationships between your company and your consumers. Personalization is crucial when it comes to your social media marketing success.
PIN THIS BLOG POST ON YOUR PINTEREST IF YOU FOUND IT HELPFUL. 
Ummmm … do you know how much I’d appreciate that?
I’d really appreciate it. Like a lot.
To pin on Pinterest, simply hover over the image below and click on the little “P!”
How Do You Leverage Social Media?
Now it’s time for you to jump into the conversation. What social media strategies and resources have you found useful?
Let us know in the comments.
