Original blog published on July 20, 2020 | Blog updated on April 14, 2021

Don’t Make These Mistakes on Your Company’s Social Channels

The importance of a strong social media presence for small and medium-sized businesses is common knowledge by now. But many people who step up to manage their company’s social postings don’t know all of the best practices to get the best results. We are here to help with tips for marketing your HVAC business, plumbing company, medical practice or other commercial enterprise.

Here are eight common social media mistakes to avoid, with tips for how to maximize the effectiveness of your digital marketing efforts.

1. Posting too infrequently

If you rarely post, you risk becoming irrelevant to your audience. If you post too often, it may feel intrusive to them. To strike a happy medium, post about three times per week. This frequency ensures your brand stays top-of-mind without being too “in your face.” If you post more than once per day, consider carefully whether it’s warranted.

2. Spelling and grammatical errors

Don’t share anything on your page without running spell-check and asking someone to proofread it first. Misspellings and grammatical errors are unprofessional and damage your credibility with potential and current followers. If you give the impression you don’t pay close attention to details on your social media channels, customers could conclude you won’t be conscientious with their projects, either.

3. Not using #hashtags

Hashtags make it easier for users to find information about specific topics. When choosing hashtags for your posts, be sure they match the content. For example, don’t use a popular hashtag like #dogsofinstagram unless your post features a photograph of a cute puppy on Instagram. If you use hashtags to gain more reach but they mislead followers, you’ll damage your online reputation.

4. Not linking to your website

Social media posts should be short and easily digestible. They’re intended to grab followers’ attention while scrolling through their news feeds. If your followers are interested in learning more, don’t make them hunt down information on their own! Provide a link to the relevant page on your website where they can get more details, familiarize themselves with your company and contact you to learn more or take action. Bringing social media followers to a user-friendly, informative website helps them make decisions—and increases the likelihood that they’ll become customers!

5. Not boosting posts

A regular post (especially on Facebook) is only shown to about 2 percent of your followers. That’s right—2 percent! That means if you have 200 followers on your page, only 4 of those people will see what you post. That’s a small audience for all of your hard work to provide fresh content. Social platforms have become “pay to play” for businesses: To get more eyes on your content, consider allocating a budget to promote your posts. You can “boost” posts for your services or products to target the audiences you want that content to reach. Your efforts will be more effective if your messages are reaching the right people.

6. Not responding to comments

Ignoring comments on social media is a major no-no. You don’t want your followers (or potential followers) to feel ignored. When you answer them, you show that you care about their comments or questions. Always post a response from your company, whether the follower’s comment is positive or negative. Even hitting the “like” button on positive comments shows your visitors that the company appreciates their feedback. Get tips about managing negative comments here.

7. Every post is a sales pitch

Your social media page should not feel like a segment on a home shopping channel. Be interactive and engaging by sharing posts that will interest your audience. In other words, don’t try to sell a service or push a product with every post you publish. When you publish content your followers care about, they’ll stick with you. Share articles from trustworthy sources, include fun facts about your company or community or launch contests where followers can win prizes. Don’t be scared to be creative!

8. Not targeting your audience

People who manage a business’s social media often make the mistake of not targeting a defined audience. When you don’t narrow down the followers your posts and ads will reach with paid ads on social media, you can waste a lot of money advertising to people who won’t do business with you. Here are several criteria to consider when creating an audience for your paid boosted posts and ads on social media:

      • Location: Where do you want to target? What is your service area? You can list those locations in your target audience. Facebook even allows you to target by ZIP code if you want to get super specific.
      • Gender & Age Group: Maybe your ads are more relevant for people of a specific gender or age group. You can use your target audience settings to reach the most appropriate demographic for your products or services. For example, a young teenager would not necessarily be interested in an ad about purchasing a new home.
      • Interests: When you think about the most likely consumers of your products or services, consider what interests they might share. For example, if you’re advertising that your HVAC company is hiring, you can target “current HVAC Technicians” in your area. Being more specific helps avoid wasted advertising dollars.

Need Help? We’re Here for You

Putting this advice into practice will make your company stand out on social media. If it’s more than you can manage, we have your back. KickCharge Creative’s digital marketing and content team handles social posting and advertising for a variety of companies, and we can manage yours, too.

We also specialize in naming companies, designing and developing websites, crafting brochures and print collateral and much more. Contact us online or call us today at 908.835.9000 to talk about how we can help you accomplish your business growth goals.