Saturday, 27 August 2011

Social Media Marketing Mistakes

By Takara Alexis


There are numerous companies, of all sizes, that have the idea of social media marketing all wrong. It is not about getting rich quick, or a quick fix to small marketing budgets that will pull them through the recession with little effort. Social media is all about interaction. When you interact, you build relationships; when you create these relationships, you create opportunities to share your products and services. This is not something that happens over night. It takes time, consistency, and a genuine interest in the creation and nurturing of those relationships.

There's no standard list of ethics when it comes to social media, but here are some guidelines and things to avoid when using social media: First thing is to get to know others, don't just try and sell and promote your products. Spamming is not ok, ever. It is true that spamming is becoming a problem in the social media networks, and we are being required to weed through it, just like we do in our email inboxes. Don't spam followers; if they didn't ask for it, don't send it.

You should be consistent when it comes to using social media. Participating once a month or once a week just won't get the results you desire. Don't be a social media snob; be willing to learn from others, not just the ones in your industry. Social marketing is about being social and connecting with others. If you want followers, you'll have to be a follower. The same as if you open a storefront and think that customers will just show up, you cannot sign up and start off in social media thinking everyone is just going to come and follow you.

It's important to realize that social media marketing does work, but as with any marketing strategy, there are the core pieces of that strategy that you must implement. You need to find the right social media marketing direction that will work for you and your industry, as well as design the campaigns that will yield the results that you desire.

This is a low to no-cost marketing option, but you will need to invest your time. If you are not willing to do that, consider selecting another marketing option or investing in a social media agency, like fishbat, that will help you create and implement your social media marketing strategy.




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