10 Corporate Social Media Mistakes

You are likely well aware of how powerful social media channels have become for Corporates and Brands. When used correctly and mistake-free, you can successfully promote yourself, brand, or product.They can also harm your reputation, big time. Let us look at 10 Mistakes you are probably making on your Corporate Social Media efforts and how to avoid them:

1. Just plain boring.

Being boring could ‘kill’ your Social Media following. It will make people perceive your brand as a super duper boring brand. Therefore, you must think of some interesting content that can make people like it, comment on it as well as share it among their friends. Think out of the box or look for ideas in other brands’ circles so that you could come up with something more interesting of your own.

2. Overdoing Freebies!!

Using free gifts, cool contests and lucky draws to entice people to like your Facebook page may be a good idea. However, don’t overdo it. It will make your brand look like a sugar daddy who always like to give away freebies.

There is a saying, “you’ll harvest what you sow.” By overdoing the freebies marketing, you will get a lot of non-loyal fans who are there for your free stuffs only, and not because they love your brand’s products and services.

3. Going Totally Out Of Point!

Your Social Media theme must be closely related to your brand. It must reflect what your brand sells or market to the world. Always share content related to the things in your industry. If you sell shoes, your content should be about shoes and not about food or other things that are completely alienated from what your brand really is.

When it comes to business, stay focus. Funny, cute and unrelated stuffs, please stay away from it.

4. Lack of Interaction

There is only a one way speech and not a two way dialogue. Brands would just behave like news anchor persons disseminating information. And when people gave their feedback, only the positive ones stayed and the negative ones, banned. There is hardly any dialogue between the brand and the fans.

Social media is a two-way street. It can’t be just one person talking all the time. It’s a conversation. You need to be active on all platforms. Don’t just talk about yourself or only share your work. Post content that will generate discussions. Pay attention to the people in your network. In other words, show people you care about them, and not just yourself. You’d be surprised how this type of interaction pays off.

5. Advertisement Galore

Facebook gives your brand a personality or a voice in the social media world. Your brand speaks and interacts with your clients and prospects. You educate your fans on the benefits of your brand so that it would position your brand well in their minds.

Don’t constantly ask people explicitly through online offers and sales discounts; shouting them out in each and every single post of yours, to make people buy your stuff.

Educate, don’t hard sell.

6. Boss’ Birthday? No one Cares

No one cares whether today is your boss’, your boss’ father’s, your boss’ brother’s or your boss’ cat’s birthday? Talk business and give your clients what they are looking for in your page. People just want to know how your product or services is going to be of benefit to them.

If you have to share, don’t make it a ritual.

7. Not Monitoring your Social Media for Negative Comments…all Comments.

Monitor your social media regularly. Check all the comments, all the tags..etc. Negative comments can bring down the credibility of your brand. Hence you to constantly manage the brand reputation.

If the negative comments are proved to be genuine, it is ok not to delete or hide them as spam. You could simply publish your apology openly to the said user so that this will make others perceived your brand as honest and transparent. Who in the world has no flaws?

Sometimes you will get companies advertising on your Page or competitors putting nasty and untrue comments about your brand on your timeline. Put them in their place. Be alert. Block, Ban and Report!

8. Too Much Technical Jargon

By putting too much technical jargon or scientific terms is a bad strategy. It is not a PHD textbook, you know. And unless you want to make your fans and followers professors and doctors, refrain from using complicated jargon.

9. Tag or RT to Your Friends NOW!

Never ever try to ask people to tag their friends to your pictures. Worse still, don’t give them a specific number of friends to tag in order to exchange some kind of gifts from you. Tagging and RTing is good as it can increase the brand’s exposure virally but let them do it out of their own wish.

It is very irritating when that funny “spammy” picture just appears in your profile page without your permission. I block the company’s facebook page immediately.

10. Not Taking Advantage of The Bio

The first item for visitors to spot on A social media page is the bio(About on Facebook). You must complete this section with vital information, like location and website [URL]. It should look interesting, too. Have a little fun with it. If you’re creative and interesting, it will give more of an incentive to follow or like you.

What other mistakes do you think Companies do with their Social Media? Add in the comments section below.

6 Comments 10 Corporate Social Media Mistakes

  1. ngojera March 28, 2014 at 9:06 am

    Nice read…..

    Reply
  2. Avator March 28, 2014 at 9:07 am

    Thank you.

    Reply
  3. mimi-ni-wewe March 28, 2014 at 9:08 am

    Curt and prescise. Nice!

    Reply
  4. village elder March 28, 2014 at 9:27 am

    WHAT IS THE PROPER AGE TO GET MARRIED?
    'Eighty-four. Because at that age, you don't have to work anymore, and you can spend all your time loving each other.' (Judy, 8)

    'Once I'm done with kindergarten, I'm going to find me a wife.' (Tommy, 5)

    WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
    'On the first date, they just tell each other lies,and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.' (Mike, 10)

    WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
    'You should never kiss a girl unless you have enough bucks to buy her a big ring and her own VCR, 'cause she'll want to have videos of the wedding.' (Jim, 10)

    'Never kiss in front of other people. It's a big embarrassing thing if anybody sees you. But if nobody sees you, I might be willing to try it with a handsome boy, but just for a few hours.' (Kally, 9)

    THE GREAT DEBATE: IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
    It's better for girls to be single, but not for boys. Boys need somebody to clean up after them.' (Lynette, 9)

    'It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I'm just a kid. I don't need that kind of trouble.' (Kenny, 7)

    CONCERNING WHY LOVE HAPPENS BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE:
    'No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how you smell. That's why perfume and deodorant are so popular.' Jan, 9)

    'I think you're supposed to get shot with an arrow or something, but the rest of it isn't supposed to be so painful.' (Harlen, 8)

    ON WHAT FALLING IN LOVE IS LIKE:
    'Like an avalanche where you have to run for your life.' (Roger, 9)

    'If falling in love is anything like learning to spell, I don't want to do it. It takes to long to learn.' (Leo, 7)

    ON THE ROLE OF GOOD LOOKS IN LOVE AND ROMANCE:
    'If you want to be loved by somebody who isn't already in your family, it doesn't hurt to be beautiful.' (Jeanne, 8)

    'It isn't always just how you look. Look at me. I'm handsome like anything and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet.' (Gary, 7)

    'Beauty is skin deep. But how rich you are can last a long time.' (Christine, 9)

    CONCERNING WHY LOVERS OFTEN HOLD HANDS:
    'They want to make sure their rings don't fall off, because they paid good money for them.' (David, 8)

    CONFIDENTIAL OPINIONS ABOUT LOVE:
    'I'm in favor of love as long as it doesn't happen when 'The Simpsons' are on TV.' (Anita, 6)

    'Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it. I've been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me.' (Bobby, 8)

    'I'm not rushing into being in love. I'm finding fourth grade hard enough.' (Regina, 10)

    PERSONAL QUALITIES NECESSARY TO BE A GOOD LOVER:
    'One of you should know how to write a check. Because, even if you have tons of love, there is still going to be a lot of bills.' (Ava, 8)

    SOME SUREFIRE WAYS TO MAKE A PERSON FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU:
    'Tell them that you own a whole bunch of candy stores.' (Del, 6)

    'Don't do things like have smelly, green sneakers. You might get attention, but attention ain't the same

    Reply
  5. amafaranga April 30, 2014 at 4:45 am

    This is the truth…..back to basics indeed

    Reply
  6. FRANKLINE MWENDA April 30, 2014 at 5:13 am

    Thanks @amafaranga We need to, all the time. Cheers

    Reply

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