Top 5 Mistakes Small Businesses make on Social

1. Disappearing Act
Ever get exposed to a new business and do some research before you book or shop with them?  We've all come across Facebook Business Pages that haven't been updated since 2014.  I don't know about you, but when I see that, it screams to me "I don't care about you or my business!" 

You don't have to post on every available social media platform.  You don't even have to post the industry suggested 1-3x per day.  Just post regularly and consistently!  One quality post that is customized for the audience of the one platform you are posting on daily is an outstanding start.  Better than many!

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2. Its Not All About You
This could be airing political opinions, making it the family page, or making it a personal blog.

First, I have seen businesses close over standing by political opinions.  Just don't.  Even when you think you are making a decision about what is right...its just not right to everybody and if family and friends will avoid you so they don't have to hear it, trust me when I tell you everyone else will too (even if they agree with you).

Second, this is a bit of a gray area, so let me try to do my best to explain:  your customers want to know about you and your life.  I promise you they do.  This is part of trust building in relationships.  That said, you have a personal Facebook page.  Posting your daily pic of your kid, spouse, dog, car, vacation, etc. is NOT for your business social media.  Specifically written, relative, applicable content that highlights your life, but is professionally put together as a business would, is another story.  Here are a couple good rules of thumb to help you think about your posts:

• Don't Publish/Post your Blog, Post, Picture, etc. the same day you created it.
• When you go back to it, ask yourself if you would want to spend time on that content if it was someone you did not know or a company you just heard about.
• Have someone with a good eye who will be subjective and honest with you review it.  

3. Fluff City
Sometimes this is the cause for the mistake above, and an effort to avoid the mistake above that.  In an effort to be consistent when we don't have time to commit to our social media causes that "oh, crap" effect of posting a-little-too personal opinions, turning our business page into our personal page, or overly focusing on unoriginal, inspirational quotes and random pictures of cats, views, etc.

There is an acronym for posting engaging content on social media:
A - Authentic
I - Inspirational
R - Relatable

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4. The Salesman
It is so very easy to fall into the habit of thinking of just the here-and-now when creating content.  Keep in mind that what you are posting will be on your page for quite awhile, unless you remove it.  

We see so many businesses start posting about an event that same week or the week before and post nothing but that.  Sales, events, free estimates, quotes, sales, sales, sales, Sales, SALES!  This isn't teaching your audience anything.  It doesn't build trust.  Its the social media version of cold calling.  Its like wearing a t-shirt that says "Trust me, I'm a doctor." It's icky.  Stop it.  Here are some ways to step up your game:
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• Take some time to think about what your want to post. 
• Choose 3-7 things that will provide value to your customers.  (i.e. 3-minute video education, blog highlight, Periodical Article, etc.)
• Assign a day to each one (save your best and highest quality for your high traffic days (note: know your insights.analytics)
• Stick to the schedule
• Rule of Thumb:  Selling should be a maximum of 1/3 of your content​

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5. Lacking the Goods

• ​What do your customers come to you for? 
• What things do you say to them that you can share with those who may not have talked to you yet? 
• How can you better serve your customers? 
• What education can you provide?
• What problem do you solve?

The answers to these questions will give you an excellent start on valuable information to share with your audience.  This will prove your expertise, build trust in your ability, and provide immense added value so when you do ask for a sale, it will be a no-brainer for them to say "oh, yes please!"

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