Social media is witnessing a high level of adoption by people of all ages all over the world. I am surprised at how my nephew of 4 years has a Facebook account and knows how to play all of those games, while I feel archaic and primitive, as someone who hasn’t used Facebook and any other social media platform for quite a while.
So yes, there is tremendous buzz about social media among the masses. If you want to take a stand and make your presence felt among them, you have a fair chance of seeing success come to you eventually. This is a time consuming process and would require you to have immense patience. One wrong move and you will be lost in the expanse of social media.
Social media can also be tricky to use. There have been times when the most carefully-crafted social media messages and activities have ended up backfiring, causing a great deal of grief to brands. These mistakes, however, are avoidable. Here’s how –
Listening Only to Your Customers and Not Heeding the Data You Extract from Analytic Reports, and Ignoring the Fact that Data Speaks.
While listening to your customers is the number one priority, data and reports hold a lot of importance too. They tell you how good or bad your efforts actually are, how you can alter your strategy and the plan of action, what you should continue doing and what you shouldn’t, what you should include in the new process plan, and so on. Do pay attention to the data to analyze your hard work.
Not Adding a Human Touch to Your Comments, and Shared Content, Giving Mass-Produced Responses that Create the Impression of a Robot Handling the Social Media Account.
Over-looking uninteresting customer comments and replying only to those who are a prospect sale for you can prove to be an expensive mistake. This shows that all you care about is your brand, product/service, and the sale, and not about your customers. It is important to understand that not everyone who talks to you will buy from you. You, therefore, need to help them understand your business, the benefit they can get, and simply talk to them like you would talk to a consumer. The more space you give them and the less pushy you are for a sale, the more they will like you.
Not Being Selective With the Information You Share.
Dishing out too much content can be incredibly dangerous. Sharing irrelevant specifics, not being watchful of what you write and talk about, getting into conversations when unsure should be avoided at all costs. Be cautious of self-deprecation, as that could wreck your brand’s image. Also, watch out when you are highlighting your positives, and do not overdo it. There’s a sensitive balance to be maintained here.
Not Understanding What Customers Say
Copy-pasting your response, unnecessarily writing in the upper-case, using expletives and/or religion, not being courteous and polite when responding to statements, and being aggressive in putting your point through, all of this can land you in a soup and a public war of words. Understand that building a harmonious bond with your customers is the first step to a healthy buyer-seller relationship.
Hurting Customer’s Sentiments
We like people who are like us, who we can relate and connect with, and who are fond of us. Take care not to make money off of your customer’s pain in times of crisis, as that can irreversibly sabotage your brand reputation.
Not Handling Your Critics Wisely
While you take care of your customers, it is not equally important for you to stay sheltered from the eyes of your critics. It is best to proofread what you publish your content online to avoid negative remarks from them. After all, it is only your brand that’s at stake. You don’t want to be too late to save your brand, so let no damage/error occur in the first place.
Not Recruiting the Right Person
So, you hired a person to take care of your social media accounts, but are unaware of their background. What if they’re trouble? It is always advised to cross-verify the credentials of the person responsible for handling your social media accounts. Do not make the mistake of hiring someone wayward and lose the control you ideally should have.
Inability to Handle Difficult Situations
Not understanding the criticality of a difficult situation, and being funny in a situation that demands you to be serious will only make you come across as someone frivolous. Inappropriate marketing jokes should be avoided as your mockery can backfire. Understand the rights of your customers, and refrain from disclosing sensitive information about them.
Being Ignorant
Always be aware of what your customers and critics think of you. Not being updated can make you appear uninterested. Remember, ignorance is not always bliss. Engage with them in an appropriate manner on a regular basis to build strong relationships with them.
Un-streamlined Process across Various Social Media Platforms
This gives the customers an inconsistent brand image, and you end up losing their trust and interest in you.
Social media platforms are fantastic tools available to us to engage and communicate better with customers, know them, and empathize with them so they feel comfortable, and secure, and most importantly, happy to be our customers. Being knowledgeable of the mistakes stated above should make you wary of your actions, and get you on your path to accomplishing your goals.