There’s so many tips, tricks and ‘hacks’ all over the internet about making Social Media a profitable tool. We’re all for DIY and self-learning, but it’s painful to see our fellow Small Business owners and managers get lost in it and make mistakes that hurt their business.

This is why we always urge Small Business owners to have a Digital Marketing Strategy in place to AVOID losing valuable time, money and energy trying to “figure out” Social Media. A Strategy will help you, guide you, and be there for you if things don’t go to plan.

Here are the 5 most common mistakes we see Small Business owners and managers make on Social Media, and how to avoid making them!

1. Inconsistent posting

Here’s the thing: When you post ‘every now and then’, it really shows. Large gaps in time stamps and outdated content is quite damaging to your branding! Actions speak louder than words! If you aren’t posting consistently, it creates perceptions that maybe your business isn’t operating anymore, or you’re as innovative as your competitors. Consistency is key.

Plus, if you have old branding or outdated information, you’re confusing your audience and leading them to the wrong place.

2. Posting too much

A general guide we give our clients is try not to post more than 7 times in a week. If you have promotions happening, or an event and you want to post twice in one day – that is okay. But if you go beyond this and post more than 10 times in a week, it’ll look like spam and will annoy your followers – a good enough reason for your followers to instantly unfollow.

For Instagram Stories? We’d say keep it below or around 5 in one day. More than that, your viewers will skip really quickly or most likely not bother at all.

3. Everything you post stays forever

This notion is scary for most people… Do you remember what you posted 10 years ago? You probably don’t want to.

You would’ve seen many celebrities, political figures and brands get absolutely smashed by criticism because of something they posted in the past (generally something highly offensive). The power of the internet should never be underestimated – you can get boycotted along with your brand tarnished in a matter of days. This is what millennial calls ‘being cancelled’.

So don’t post things that are offensive, inappropriate or abusive. Think you’ve made this mistake in the past? Track it down and remove it!

Here are some examples that made us go “Yikes!”

4. Not responding to comments, messages and reviews.

Whether it’s a question, feedback or an angry review, respond quickly and professionally. Reward those who praise you and answer questions (be grateful that they want to know more about you!).

When it comes to bad, rude, angry reviews or comments, keep it professional and don’t fight back. Having a drafted response you can copy and paste or use as a guide comes in handy. Always remember to show gratitude for their time – kill them with kindness!

5. Throwing money at Social Media Ads with no clear strategy

Here at Wise Up, we get passionately heated about this very topic. The amount of times we’ve been called with ‘Help! I just spent hundreds and thousands of dollars on my Facebook ads but got 0 sales’ is way to common.

Do not: create an audience with just a pin to a geographical location with a large radius with NO OTHER segmenting.

Here’s an example. Say you’re selling a hot pink lipstick. And you created an Ad with a drop pin on the CBD with a 10mile radius – sheesh, why not the whole country.

You’re basically showing ads to anyone from 18 to 65+ year old, any gender, people who don’t wear lipstick, people who just don’t care.

Why would 1,632 60-year-old men need a hot pink lipstick? What if someone in Perth tried to buy it but you only ship in NSW?

Every time your ad is engaged with, you’re PAYING for it.

Do: plan and strategize. Break down all the characteristics of your target audience. Select your media and copywriting wisely. Have a clear budget. Segment segment segment. And then track , measure and optimise.

If you’re finding yourself able to relate to one of these, it’s time to upgrade your skillset!

Our biggest tip to combat all of this is to simply plan and strategise before you do anything. Every post, story, or ad costs you time (a lot of it) and money. If you get angry with a parking ticket, you should get angry with the time and money you’re wasting not maximising Social Media.

Here are our quick tips to become a Social Media Pro: Blog

Feeling upset, nervous or overwhelmed? Call us. The first 20 min consult is on us!