How To Avoid Social Media Pitfalls, Ninja-Style!

Social media marketing is one of our top services at Kiwano Marketing. Individuals, companies, and the media are all abuzz about this phenomenon and what it means for doing business. What’s the big deal? And how can you use it effectively for your small business?

A good social media campaign is one of the most effective marketing programs for a small business on a tight budget. Why? Social media enables companies of every size engage in open and honest conversations with their customers, leading to a better understanding of their consumer needs. Companies that share stories of their ups and downs and humanize their employees become more credible in the eyes of the consumer, making it easier to relate to a business – and, in the end, leading to more sales and online visibility.

As with any service, I believe that in order to effectively get the word out, small businesses need to diversify how they do marketing. Social media is a powerful tool, but it cannot be the only way that your business engages with your audience. Used in conjunction with an overall marketing strategy and other marketing tools, however, we’ve found no better all-in-one toolkit for creating publicity, buzz, and enhancing your network with meaningful connections that will help your business grow.

And here’s where we need to put the brakes on slightly. It’s so easy to get excited about social media, and it’s definitely something that we’re passionate about. However, there are a few flags that we’d like to get out of the way sooner rather than later:

• Go Big or Go Home: Are there any ’secrets’ behind social media? If there’s one lesson that companies should learn early on, it’s that an authentic presence is key for social media success. The ‘halfway’ attempts we’ve seen on social media can actually be more damaging than helpful to a company’s online reputation.
• Sleepless Nights: Social media is, at least at first, a time sink. Having an agency’s expertise on board will ensure that time spent on education is as streamlined as possible. There may, however, be a considerable learning curve and time investment.
• Where Are My Sales?!: Powerful communication and marketing tool? Check. Clients instantly lining up at your door the day after you get on twitter? Probably not (but we’ll gladly take all some of the credit if that does happen!). Building awareness and a presence on social media takes time, and this period varies from company to company and user to user.
• What The Hell Am I Doing?: We’re glad you asked, and that’s exactly why we’re here! Before every campaign we launch, Kiwano needs to make sure that this specific program is going to make practical business sense and provide you the desired ROI. Get a company that will sit down with you, do some goal-setting and set up measurable benchmarks for success. Based on those goals, you’ll be able to determine exactly what type of content you should put out, how you should be engaging your audience, and how frequently you should be doing so. And of course, for goodness sake, track what you’re doing on social media! (more to come on this overlooked topic…)

Got more to say? Drop me a line or a comment below.

Check out these resources:
3 Tips For Social Media Networking
Kiwano’s Networking Ninja Attends CBC’s Open House and Food Bank Day
Social Media for Small Businesses