Blog Post

Top 5 Reasons Your Social Media Marketing Campaign Can Stall

  • By Mark Baker
  • 23 Jul, 2015

Social media marketing is the newest and fastest growing tool in business marketing, and it should undoubtedly be in your marketing tool belt, as well. According to the Pew Research Center's 2014 Media Update Report:

  • Multi-platform use is on the rise: 52% of online adults now use two or more social media sites, a significant increase from 2013, when it stood at 42% of internet users.
  • For the first time, roughly half of internet-using young adults ages 18-29 (53%) use Instagram. Half of all Instagram users (49%) use the site daily.
  • Women dominate Pinterest: 42% of women online now use the platform, compared with 13% of men online.

Businesses that scoffed at social media marketing in the past are scrambling to get caught up and reap the benefits from this exciting new strategy. However, many do not understand it, do not budget appropriately, or do not give enough attention to it.

If you have a social media campaign that is bogged down, or if you are considering entering the social media marketplace and wish to avoid the possible pitfalls, here are the top five reasons why social media campaigns stall:

1. YOUR BUSINESS PLATFORMS ARE INACTIVE.

According to the Pew study, 70% of Facebook users engage with the site daily. Posting one update each day on your platforms is the absolute minimum, and in fact, more than one update on more than one platform (Twitter, Pinterest, etc.) is highly recommended.

Be on the lookout for comments, likes, and mentions. Communicate with your followers–a simple thank you will go a long way.

One important but often overlooked note: Remember to follow others and comment on their platforms, as well. People love personal communication, and they will become loyal to your brand as a result.

 

2. THE CONTENT IS NEITHER RELEVANT NOR INTERESTING.

Facebook does not allow blatant promotional and sales updates, and no one wants their Twitter account bombarded with incessant sales pitches. Industry-specific verbiage is great in the boardroom, but it can be a turn-off on social media platforms.

Therefore, be aware of who your audience is and what interests them. Give them information that is mindful of those criteria, even when it is not always business or sales related.

Measuring what your audience responds to is easy because their comments, re-tweets, favorites, and likes will provide you with immediate feedback.

3. YOU HAVE TOO MUCH DRY INFORMATION, AND NOT ENOUGH IMAGES.

While social media marketing is the newest tool around, it relies upon a tried and true marketing technique: images. According to the Social Media Examiner, "Photos are the most engaging type of content on Facebook, with a whopping 87% interaction rate from fans!”

The simplest rule in business marketing remains true: images sell. They grab your viewer's attention and can encourage people to check out your website or blog, share the post with their friends, or motivate them to click on an ad and purchase your product.

4. YOU ARE “PUSH MARKETING" INSTEAD OF “PULL MARKETING."

Many business owners make the mistake of assuming that social media is just another trumpet to market products and services to large numbers of prospects quickly. Those business owners become disillusioned and shut down their campaigns when they don't immediately lead to increased sales.

The problem is that many social media users will simply click away or report you as a spammer if you are using your platforms to constantly blast away with advertising.

To succeed with social media, you must attract or pull people towards you. Attract people to your business through your messaging and the content you share on social media.

5. YOU DON'T SHARE.

Social media became so successful because at its core, it provides people with a way to share their experiences and likes. One of the best ways to pull market on social media is to be useful to your community on a consistent basis without the expectation of selling them something immediately.

For example, if you are a plumbing company, you might put out a series of articles, posts, or YouTube videos on simple do-it-yourself plumbing repairs. While this may seem counter-intuitive at first glance, it provides a service, makes your brand useful to your followers, and may be shared and tweeted around to potential new clients.

Some of your followers will call you for those same simple repairs, leading to profits, and they will certainly remember you when the time comes for bigger projects which they cannot handle on their own.

BONUS TIP: BE AUTHENTIC

People buy from brands they know and trust. Do not be afraid to show a little personality on your social media platforms. Be yourself and deliver high-quality content.

Engage positively and consistently with your community, and they will eventually become your clients.

Mark Baker

Mark Baker is a natural artist. Since starting his first business hand painting graphics onto vehicles in high school, Mark gained experience in the entertainment, sports, and retail industries before founding this company in 1993. Honest and pragmatic, Mark knows that anything can be accomplished with a great communication plan and creative thinking. 

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