Selling Social Media Marketing

AND Dodging Common Mistakes to Success 

Have you been lured into the “seven sins of social media”? The idea is nagging you, isn’t it? No problem, just join me as I reveal these pitfalls and the related vital strategies for maximizing social media marketing and its sales. You just might avoid some costly mistakes.

I interviewed Kathleen P. King, also known to her 1700+ Twitter followers as @facultycoach, about the pitfalls common in social media. Together, we developed this list of seven classic ways newcomers screw up their own social media campaigns. Our suggestion: Avoid them!

Number One: Don’t Identify a Clear Guiding Message
There are often a lot of different messages in a newcomer’s social media campaign, but there’s no clear, consistent “brand” message. Nothing unifies the channels. What shows up on LinkedIn doesn’t support what shows up on Twitter, and what shows up on YouTube doesn’t support what’s on the web site. So the question is then “what is the central idea that ties everything together?” What is your one-sentence “purpose” for sharing the information you share?

Number Two: Don’t Identify Your Target Audience.
You’d be amazed how many people start sending out messages on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn yet cannot answer the question “Who are you hoping to hear back from?” (Hint: It is not “the general public.”) Your goal is to start a conversation — not with just anyone, but with the people most likely to buy your product or service. Find your target demographic first: then start typing.

Number Three: Don’t Think About Return On Investment (ROI).
Many people spend days, weeks, or months of obsessive (and unpaid) effort updating their Facebook pages or tending to their Twitter accounts. As a result, they neglect the core business activities that can actually produce revenue for their organization. Remember: social media is a marketing investment. If you are running a small business, and your time is limited, you are probably better off hiring an experienced, affordable consultant than you are trying to do it all yourself. Think strategically — and measure your investments.

Number Four: Be Busy, But Irrelevant.
If you throw out a whole lot of content, and none of it resonates with the group you are hoping to start a dialogue with, then your activity level does not matter. The critical test is: are you actually “starting conversations” with the people you hope to engage? If not, you had better change course.

Number Five: Mix Up Business And Personal Issues.
Unless your organization sells swimsuits, you should avoid using your organization’s Twitter feed to share your own opinions about the latest low-cut styles. Remember: when you talk on-line through the company “channel,” you represent your organization! Open a private account for personal musings.

Number Six: Use Social Media to Always Send Ads.
Social media is all about content and relationships. When people only see blatant commercial content coming from you, they quickly tune it (and you) out. Your goal with social media is to share value-rich resources, start conversations, and address customer/prospect problems in real time. That means your core content should contain no undifferentiated sales pitches! When the “buy, buy, buy” message goes out, the viewer’s “disconnect” impulse takes over.

Number Seven: Be All Things to All People.
Your aim is to establish yourself and/or your organization as a leader and content expert within a “single, clearly defined” area. That means some of the issues people raise on-line are going to fall outside of your area of expertise. When this happens, say so, and move on to a topic that’s within your “wheelhouse!” Suppose your area of expertise is helping people track down their family history. The fact that someone leaves a complaint about a car-repair issue doesn’t oblige you to create a 500-word post on the best ways to avoid shifty mechanics.

These social media sins are what Kathy and I call the Big Seven — but there are countless other mistakes social media newbies make while they try to promote themselves and their businesses. If you have other examples, please, share them with me. You can send me a direct message on Twitter, and if you do, I’ll answer!

About the Author

Steven Bookbinder

Steve Bookbinder, CEO and lead trainer for Internet Advertising Institute has over a decade of experience selling online media, search engine marketing, and advertising. He has written and co-written more than 25 books, articles and audio training programs, and is most recently the author, with Jeff Goldberg, of How to Be Your Own Coach.

Connect with me on Twitter: @IAdInstitute

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