Five Social Media Marketing Mistakes and How You Can Avoid Making Them
From large corporations to mom and pop shops, many businesses see the value in engaging in conversations that are already taking place about their brands online. That’s why social media is fast becoming a standard component of marketing/pr/communications strategies. 
But, while best practices are starting to emerge, companies still struggle with the best approach for engaging with their consumers. Below are five common social media marketing mistakes, and what you can do to avoid making them:
1. Not monitoring the conversation. Many companies make the mistake of not “listening” or observing how their ambassadors or detractors talk about their brand. This, however, is one of the times that it is okay to be a voyeur. See what your brand evangelists are saying about you on Facebook and Twitter, how many times your brand is mentioned on fan-authored blogs or how many fan videos are posted on YouTube. You’ll be able to gather key insights and understandings about your target audience and how better to engage them. Similarly, though, it is also important to listen to detractors as companies can learn from listening to unsatisfied customers as well.
2. Solely using junior staffers to run your social media platforms. Junior staff members offer a fresh and savvy perspective helping to navigate the ever emerging media waters. However, solely relying on a team that might not have fully grasped the ‘business’ perspective of your brand could muddy your brand’s social voice. Instead, staff your social media team with members at all levels, ensuring that your brand’s ‘voice’ is well-rounded.
3. Preventing a wildfire. As most PR & marketing practioner’s know, content, especially in the digital world, can spread like wildfire. Taking a long time to respond or becoming defensive can only further fuel the fire. Instead, craft authentic but immediate responses to remain genuine, and keep haters at bay in a timely manner.
4. Be authentic. Did we just mention that above? Well, it’s true. A common mistake for brands is to ‘fake it’ by populating social media platforms with false comments or testimonials from brand evangelists. To stay and remain authentic, only use real, genuine testimonials from consumers that you’ve taken time to gather or that they have offered.
5. Plan social media efforts without an ‘off switch.’ A brand or company’s involvement with social media should never have an end date. At the core of every social media campaign, is the cultivation and nurturing of customer relationships. After all, the goal is to create brand ambassadors and without an ‘always on’ outlook, your ongoing dialogue will be extinguished.
Without a social media users guide, we have each other – brands and companies alike – to learn from along the way. In the end, though, it’s important to remember that in the realm of social media, genuine, authentic and timely engagement is king.
Source: http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jun2010/ca20100617_480316.htm
