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Are You Making These Social Media Faux Pas?

Guest post by: Jude Smiley

Article Overview: It seems that everyone and their dog have jumped on the social media bandwagon. If it isn’t Facebook or MySpace you’re tweeting until your fingers are raw. And yet, I’ll bet you’re wondering what you’re doing it for. Social Media, or Social Networking as it’s sometimes referred to is the fastest growing marketing application in the world right now. Statistics say that over 1 million new users join Facebook or Twitter every week. Amazing! Sadly however, few marketers or businesses are doing ‘it’ successfully, and all because of four mistakes.

Are You Making These Social Media Faux Pas?

The 4 mistakes most people are making when it comes to social media and how not to get stuck in the trap. It seems that everyone and their dog have jumped on the social media bandwagon. If it isn't Facebook or MySpace you're tweeting until your fingers are raw. And yet,

I'll bet you're wondering what you're doing it for.

Social Media, or Social Networking as it's sometimes referred to is the fastest growing marketing application in the world right now. Statistics say that over 1 million new users join Facebook or Twitter every week. Amazing! Sadly however, few marketers or businesses are doing ‘it' successfully, and all because of four mistakes.

No STRATEGY behind their efforts.

It's all great to jump onto Facebook and build your company a fan page or profile. In fact, today if you are running any kind of business, you should be on Facebook.

It's a great way to market to a specific audience and then create a two way dialogue in order to build your network and your revenues. But first you need to do a few key things.

1. Identify your reason for using Social Media. If your audience is technology savvy and using social media, great. If it isn't, then perhaps you shouldn't be either.

2. Identify your audience. While there are millions of people on the social media networks, in order to be successful you need to determine who your niche audience really is. What do they have in common? Where do they hang out?

3. Figure out what you're going to say to them and what you want them to do. Are you looking to drive actual sales leads? Then your approach needs to be different than if you are a not for profit trying to build awareness or solicit donations.

4. Map out a calendar of activities and stick to it. There is no point in posting 4 times one week and then nothing for a month. Your audience will decide that you're a flash in the pan and move onto the next ‘expert'. Facebook, Twitter etc., can be high maintenance but if you map out a weekly task list and stick to it - you can make it manageable.

Focusing on QUANTITY instead of QUALITY

Every internet marketer out there wants you to focus on building your list. How many people on your list they ask? How many friends or fans do you have? Sometimes I wonder if we are going to end up tying our self esteem to the number of friends we have on Facebook. Geez, that lady has 11,000 fans, what am I doing wrong!?!

You're NOT doing anything WRONG! In fact, if you focus on building and growing your friends, fans etc. with quality people that are part of your ideal target audience, you are doing it right. Social media does not have to be about numbers, except of the RIGHT people.

Most business owners don't need 5,000 new clients, they need 5 of the right kind of clients. 5 people who have the resources, the need and the desire to use the solution you can provide. Focus on them. Here are some ways to find and attract the right kind of people and numbers for your list.

1. Once you've identified who your ideal targets are, do some research and figure out where they hang out in groups. Fish where the fish are they say. And ‘they' are correct. If you can identify where your audience is, you can make yourself visible to them.

2. Clearly articulate WHO you are looking for and make it easy for those people to identify with you. Use your profile page and information to make yourself attractive. You want your ideal prospects to look at your information and say to themselves, ‘oh I need to be part of this'. If they don't, then you don't want them.

3. Monitor and guard your friends / fans list as if your life depended on it. Be strict about who you let become part of your network. One bad seed can taint the culture you are trying to build.

Bombarding your audience with TOO MUCH INFORMATION TOO OFTEN

I can pretty much guarantee that nobody wants to know what you are having for dinner, unless of course, your business is a catering or food service business of some sort. And nobody wants to know that your child is home puking his guts out. Please! In fact, most people today are blurring the lines between private information and things of interest. As well, most marketers are bombarding their audiences many times a day. Enough already!

When you use social media properly, you connect with your audience in a non confrontational, friendly and relevant way, and you deliver on what you promise. That means if you sign people up to receive a bi-weekly email or post, you deliver bi-weekly. You do not however, decide to email them six times a week promoting your latest ‘goodie'.

My fear when it comes to watching these marketers is that they are going to taint the entire Social Media tool kit and burn people out. You know what I mean. You're already tired of the newsletters and status updates you get every hour from people you actually wanted to hear from. Post once a day or when you have something relevant to say.

Your goal should ultimately be about creating a dialogue between you and your audience. Get people talking and connecting on your Facebook page. Re-tweet tips and tools that you believe would be useful for your audience. Nobody says you have to do that all in one day. I like to keep a file of information handy so that on the days when I don't have anything overly brilliant to say, I do have something of use to post.

Not focusing on QUALITY CONTENT

The world does NOT need more INFORMATION - the world needs more WISDOM!

Similar to bombarding your audience with too much, too many times, not delivering quality content is another huge social media faux pas currently on the rampage. Articles, tips, quotes, events, teleclasses, webinars, etc, etc, etc. - there is no shortage of available information out there. But what kind of information, or better yet, wisdom is your audience looking for?

For me, I focus on tools and strategies that will help women entrepreneurs to sell more, in an authentic way. That means that I only share information relevant to a) women entrepreneurs who sell services, and b) women entrepreneurs seeking to sell more authentically. I do not just relay any old sales tool or tip. And I ALWAYS offer my experience and expertise in converting ‘it' from pure information to wisdom. My audience wants to know how to take the information and put it into practice immediately.

My good friend Marcy Berg, an amazing broker with Mortgages for Women, focuses on information and wisdom that her audience finds relevant. Tips, tools and strategies for demystifying the world of mortgages and helping women find their confidence to own their own home, and manage their own money. It's great. You will never get fluff from Marcy - unless of course you ask for it. And even then, she's not really into Fluff.

Focus your social media posting and information on what is important and useful to your audience. If you don't know, then I recommend you do some research to find out. Conduct a survey, formal or informal. Ask your current customers what kind of information and wisdom they are looking for. Then deliver that. Simple, right?

Don't get sucked in to Social Media without knowing why, where, how and what you're doing.

There you have it. The four big mistakes most people and companies are committing online right now. Take some time today or this week and review your Social Media.

Make sure to have a strategy in place and then deliver quality content in a consistent and non bombarding way to your audience. And then, enjoy the results.

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Article Tags: facebook, faux pas, social media, twitter, women entrepreneurs



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