7 Ways Small Businesses Screw Up Their Social Media

Running a small business is a balancing act. Sure, your journey began with a passion, a unique idea or skill you were eager to share with the world… but that passion probably didn’t include the day-to-day minutia of business management and the overwhelming hassle of marketing your services.

Digital marketing is a world of itself with algorithms and best practices that take a years to master. From hashtags to image dimensions, there’s a lot to remember.

Over the years, our team has observed seven predictable ways that small businesses screw up their social media marketing. It’s predictable and painful but the good news is that it’s also completely avoidable.

In this post, we’re going to share the seven most common social media fails that we’ve observed and how you can protect your business from falling into these pitfalls.

Mistake #1: Not Posting At All

No matter where you are or what industry you’re in, your users are on social media. Over 92% of all internet users have at least one social media platform! On average, people have profiles on more than 6 social media platforms at a time.

If you aren’t posting on social media, you are missing a huge opportunity to connect organically with your audience!

You would be stunned by how many businesses completely neglect their social media. It is not uncommon for us to discover businesses that are still operational but haven’t posted for more than three years!

HOW TO FIX: If you have an existing business page, you can reactivate it by starting to post consistently. If you don’t have a page yet, you can create a new one. Here are some tips that can help:

Update Your Info: Make sure that your hours, website, and contact information are all up-to-date on your profile before you begin posting.
Schedule Regular Posts: Establish a consistent posting schedule. Options include Tuesday/Thursday, Monday/Wednesday/Friday, or daily, depending on your capacity and content availability.
Plan Content in Advance: Prepare your posts ahead of time. This can involve curating relevant content, creating graphics, and drafting post texts. Using scheduling tools like SmarterQueue can help automate this process.

Mistake #2: Not Staying on Topic

When you post on social media, you need to remember that you’re talking to the public. Your followers will include people from every stage of the funnel, including people who have never heard of your business before.

New customers should be able to immediately figure out what your business offers when they look at your social media page. Unless your brand is a household name like Apple or Nike, you shouldn’t rely on brand recognition to convey your offering.

It’s up to you to explain what your business offers. You need to make sure that your posts consistently and clearly convey what your business offers and what sets you apart from the competition.

HOW TO FIX: Start to focus your content on topics that are highly relevant to your business. Here are some tips that can help:

Articulate Your Offerings: Use clear, concise language to describe your products and services. Highlight unique features and what makes your brand special. Do this consistently.
Understand Customer Needs: Identify what your potential customers are seeking. Tailor your content to address these needs and provide solutions through your products or services.
Create Helpful Content: Focus on posts that ease the purchasing process. This could include educational content, how-to guides, or informative tips related to your offerings.

Mistake #3: Overselling

If you are constantly using high-pressure sales tactics or bold “buy now” posts, you’re going to alienate your audience and your social media reach will plummet. Eventually, very few people (if any) will see your posts and your page will simply be shouting into the void.

Nobody enjoys nonstop high-pressure sales tactics. That’s not why your potential customers are using social media. To keep your customers engaging with your brand, you need to make sure that you are adding value to their lives.

Realistically, only a small percentage of your posts should push for sales. Most of your posts should be entertaining, informative, and designed to benefit your customers in some way.

HOW TO FIX: Effective social media feeds are a balance of give and take. You need to make sure that you give more than you take. Here are some tips that can help:

Limit Your Promotional Posts: Follow the 80/20 rule – 80% of your content should provide value (educational, informative, or entertaining) and only 20% should be promotional. This balance keeps your audience engaged without feeling overwhelmed by sales pitches.
Engage in Storytelling: Share stories about your products or services, customer experiences, or behind-the-scenes insights. This approach creates a connection with your audience without directly selling to them.
Encourage Customer Interaction: Instead of constantly promoting products, invite your audience to engage through polls, questions, or sharing their experiences. This fosters a community feel and subtly integrates your offerings without hard selling.

Mistake #4: Acting Like a Spammer

While enthusiasm in promoting your business is great, overdoing certain tactics can backfire. It’s tempting to boost your social media presence by sharing posts through your personal account, liking all your business posts, or frequently posting in local groups.

These methods, in moderation, can help increase visibility. However, excessive use of these tactics can come across as spammy. You may annoy and alienate potential customers. Worse, your page may be penalized by the social media algorithms. This can seriously damage your reach and credibility.

One of our clients had overshared their offerings in local groups, resulting in massively reduced reach.

HOW TO FIX: If you find yourself penalized due to oversharing or spammy tactics, it can take some time before your page will recover. These tips can help.

Strategize Your Sharing: Share business content on your personal account sparingly and only when it’s highly relevant or adds value to your personal network. This prevents overexposure and maintains interest.
Engage Authentically: Instead of liking all your own posts, create content that asks questions and prompts people to interact. When they do, respond to their comments and feedback in a meaningful way. This builds genuine relationships and encourages organic engagement.
Be Selective in Groups: Share your content in local or relevant groups only when it’s beneficial to the group’s audience. Be careful to follow all the group’s rules and avoid repetitive posting. Focus on adding value to the conversations.

Mistake #5: Underestimating Visuals

If you’re only making text posts, that’s a problem. The world is becoming increasingly visual. Now more than ever, customers expect to see engaging videos, beautiful graphics, informative infographics and other high-quality visuals from businesses in all industries.

Visuals play a crucial role in capturing attention, conveying information quickly, and evoking emotional responses. This is particularly important on social media, where users are inundated with content and you have only a moment to catch their eye. Well-crafted visuals can make your content stand out, encourage shares and interactions, and increase the memorability of your message.

HOW TO FIX: If you aren’t a professional graphic designer or videographer, there are still ways that you can create beautiful and effective visuals for your social media feeds.

Use Online Tools: Use Canva to create beautiful, engaging graphics. Tools like Opus can help you make impactful short videos that drive great results.
Maintain a Consistent Aesthetic: Use consistent brand colors and fonts across all your social media channels and your website. This helps improve your brand recognition and convey professionalism.
Use Visuals to Tell Your Story: A picture is worth a thousand words. Simplify your captions and use beautiful imagery to showcase your products, illustrate your services or convey your messages.

Mistake #6: No Relationship Building

Too many small businesses have a “set it and forget it” mindset on social media. They post content but they don’t engage with the comments at all. The results are disastrous: comments overrun by scammers, customers that never get answers, and a lot of missed opportunities to make sales.

Social media is first and foremost designed for social interaction. Users expect to be able to leave comments and get responses. It’s a great place to meet new customers, build strong relationships, and re-engage previous customers.

This two-way interaction not only enhances customer experience but also boosts your brand’s visibility due to the platform’s algorithms favoring engagement. Personalized responses, rather than automated or generic replies, can make a significant difference in how your audience perceives your brand. It shows that you value their input and are attentive to their needs.

HOW TO FIX: If you haven’t been tending to your comments section, you can start fixing it right now.

Respond to Comments and Messages: Make it a priority to reply to user comments and direct messages promptly. Personalized responses show that you value your audience and are committed to engaging with them.
Create Interactive Content: Use polls, questions, or contests to encourage user interaction. This not only boosts engagement but also provides valuable feedback and insights about your audience.
Use Automated Tools: Social media platforms have many built-in tools that can help you save time while also cultivating meaningful relationships.

Mistake #7: Failing to Adapt

Social media is a shifting landscape that is constantly growing and evolving. Small business owners who are already overwhelmed tend to get left behind as a algorithms, policies, and even platforms transform.

Businesses that do not keep pace with these changes risk becoming irrelevant. For example, a platform that was once dominated by text updates might now prioritize video content, or a new algorithm change could alter the way posts are displayed to users. Staying informed about these shifts is crucial for businesses to ensure their content remains visible and engaging.

HOW TO FIX: This is a hard one because most small businesses don’t have the time to pay attention to this. However, there are things you can do.

Stay Informed and Flexible: Regularly update your knowledge of current trends, platform updates, and algorithm changes. Be open to experimenting with new features and platforms to stay relevant.
Monitor Analytics Regularly: Use analytics tools provided by social media platforms to track the performance of your posts. Analyzing data such as engagement rates, reach, and audience demographics helps in making informed decisions to improve your strategy.
Consult with Experts Like Top Tier Digital: Consider hiring experts like Top Tier Digital for professional guidance. Our expertise in digital marketing can provide you with tailored advice and strategies to effectively adapt and thrive in the dynamic social media landscape.

Top Tier Takeaways

Social media marketing is a powerful tool that can grow your business but it has to be handled with care. Most startups and small businesses don’t have the time or resources to be able to handle it effectively. This article reviews the seven most common mistakes that small businesses make with their social media and gives you practical tips on how to fix them. If you don’t have time to do it yourself, contact us today for help!