Social Media: 3 Pitfalls [and How to Avoid Them]

The trend towards integrating digital media into one’s marketing plan is definitely on the uptick in the Audiology world and curiosity is piquing regarding social media forums. As I speak with Associates daily, it’s inevitable that questions arise on social media, which is a wonderful! Last year at this time, I was begging business owners to talk about their digital marketing strategies. The tide is changing – and quickly – but do practice owners really know the best ways to leverage social media to grow their business?

Keep in mind that “less is more” and “everything in moderation is best.” Even though today’s technology is constantly evolving, underlying marketing principles still apply in the digital sphere. There are easy pitfalls when diving into social media. We’ll review three and how to avoid falling into a black hole.
Pitfall #1: Creating Too Many Social Media Networks
There are so many social media networks available: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube [and those were off the top of my head!]. It’s easy to open an account in each and then lose interest or simply not have enough time to keep up.
When choosing which social mediums are right for you, think back to marketing 101: who is your target audience? Which social mediums will appeal to your targets and realistically, which ones will they interact with?
If you want to see increased traffic to your social media networks and website, stay focused. Don’t split your time and budget across too many networks and be sure you are utilizing the outlets that are most appropriate for your intended audience.
Pitfall #2: Failing to Direct Customer Behavior
Customers want to be told what to do [we’ve learned that from the success we’ve seen with direct mail that integrates offer driven messaging] with every medium they encounter.
For example, don’t just drive customers to your home page without telling them what to do next. Direct them to a place that has a specific marketing message in place – use offers and incentives that appeal to their emotional triggers and you’ll get a better response/more conversions. An integrated digital marketing strategy – weaving together the activities on your social media outlets with your website and email marketing – will be most beneficial.
Pitfall #3: Don’t Try to “Be Like Mike”
Social media strategies will differ based on the size of the organization. It’s easier for larger companies [e.g. Nike, Target, Amazon] because customers already have brand loyalty. But smaller, privately owned companies need to start from the ground up – and you’ll get better results if your strategy is focused and deliberate.
There are social media experts that can help you develop a strategy, determine which social media outlets to focus on and help you put a plan in place. Many will even help with posting on various mediums to keep your content relevant and timely across various mediums.
What’s important to remember is that you need to be engaged with your social media audience, just as you are with the customers that come into your practice. Make sure that you or someone in your practice with authority and expertise are commenting on posts and responding to comments and questions online. This will give your business credibility in the digital marketplace.
Source: socialmediatoday
CQ Partners can help you with social media and your greater digital marketing strategy! Contact marketing at marketing@cq-partners.com for more information.