This week we continue our 4-week series in which we cover the top 5 mistakes business make on the most popular social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Instagram. We invite you to subscribe and follow along each Monday for quick and valuable tips on how you can avoid making these mistakes and immediately improve your business’s social media presence. Enjoy!
5 Mistakes New Businesses Make on Twitter
No matter your business’s industry or specialty, a solid social media marketing strategy involving Twitter can produce positive and powerful outcomes. But in order to get the most out of using Twitter to build your brand, you need to know not only what to do, but also what not to do. Take a look at these 5 mistakes new businesses often make when using Twitter as part of their marketing strategy.
Not sticking with one hashtag
Hashtags are one of the most powerful and efficient ways to share your information on Twitter; however, many businesses make the mistake of using multiple hashtags interchangeably instead of focusing their efforts on branding one. Do your research! Choose a hashtag that isn’t already being used by another business and then use it consistently in your posts on social media and your marketing materials everywhere else. (Learn more about hashtag faux pas that should be avoided!)
Talking at their audience instead of listening and talking with them
When connecting with your audience through Twitter, you want to be sure your content comes across relatable and genuine. Don’t expect people to favorite, retweet or reply to a post if you don’t engage them. Remember the “What’s in it for me?” that people inherently want to find when reading content. Post content that will spark a conversation rather than talking at them. And when you do get a comment or share, be responsive! Aim to reply within the hour so that the conversation doesn’t go stale.
Letting their account sit stagnant
One of the biggest mistakes you can make on social media, especially with Twitter, is allowing your account to sit stagnant (i.e. going days or longer without posting fresh content). If you’re not interacting on a regular basis on Twitter, it sends the message that you’re not open for business or on top of your game. You wouldn’t open a new storefront and leave it sit vacant, right? So when using your business Twitter account remember it’s a commitment to be present, reply, show interest, and interact!
Not formatting posts specifically for Twitter
What makes Twitter unique (and at times frustrating) is its limit of 140 characters per post. The intent is to encourage quick and concise sharing of information. For businesses using multiple social media platforms, this means you need to stop, think and format your posts specifically for Twitter as opposed to posting the same content you would on Facebook across every other social media site you use. Furthermore, you should be using hashtags and tagging fellow Twitter accounts, as appropriate, which is all the more reason to make your Twitter posts unique to this platform.
Being too “salesy” with Tweets
So often businesses think effective marketing is bombarding their audience with a hard sales pitch. While having a clear call to action is certainly a good thing, being too “salesy” will only turn off your customer base and cause your network to eventually tune you out completely. Instead, keep your brand top of mind and establish value by sharing helpful hints or information within your area of expertise. This will help you build both trust and a bigger following. The direct sales will result after you first put in the time to connect with your audience!
How have you navigated your small business strategy on Twitter? Have you made any of these mistakes? Share your thoughts by commenting below!
