OK, so there are more than 5,  and I have made a lot of them.  But by identifying them, and trying to do something about it you can be well on your way to a more successful Social Media presence!

So what are some of the biggies?  Well let’s start with number 5;

5. Thinking Social Media is the ONLY WAY TO GO!

Hmm, not quite right.  Yes, of course it is definitely worth being involved in Social Media, but if you think that it alone is going to make your business a success then think again.   You have to utilise a number of different marketing methods to grow, and those methods really depend on what your business does.  Make sure that Social Media is ‘integrated’ into your other marketing activities, rather than standing alone.

4. Expecting people to find you!

I had a great conversation the other day with a client.  it went something like this;

Need I say more?  You can’t just expect people to want to find you and follow you.  You have to tell them where you are and give them a reason to follow!

3. Expect everything to happen IMMEDIATELY!!

Social Media is not a quick win solution to anything, no matter what you goals are.  Yes, an objective may be to find a partner on a project, and you may find some people within 24 hours, but in general you need to work at it, like with any other marketing effort.

2. Not do it because you don’t have enough time

I understand this one.  Social Media can be the biggest time drain for people, however it doesn’t have to be.  Set yourself a schedule, specific times of the day to do certain activities and tasks, and list out those activities so you can tick them off and know you have achieved them.  Also,, don’t start too big.  If you are nervous, and unsure about it, pick the most suitable platform for you and your business and start there, and start small.  Then when you start to get comfortable and can see what you are doing, move onward and upward!

And finally, the one that ties all of the above together…..

1. Not having a clue why you are there!

The word ‘Strategy’ is thrown around so much that it is becoming too much of a buzz word.  However, it is essential!!  If you don’t know what you want to achieve and why, then it is no wonder that the first 4 mistakes are being made!!

You should have some ‘hard’ goals and objectives (I want to increase traffic to my website by 20%) and also ‘soft’ goals (I want to increase my knowledge in a particular subject).  Make sure that you monitor and measure these regularly and update them if necessary.

How to avoid these mistakes – Create a Social Media Plan

This is really the only thing to do to avoid the above, and make sure it includes;

• How it integrates to your other marketing
• How you are going to promote your Social Media presence and increase ‘followers’ etc
• Realistic timescales (do research to see if it is possible)
• A daily schedule and a ‘task list’
• Monitoring and measurement tools and targets – and don’t be scared to adapt with the results

Have you made any of the above mistakes, or any others?  How have you dealt with them?