The 9 Mistakes to Avoid for a Successful Social Media Strategy

In 2022, any digital marketing plan must naturally include an active presence on social networks. You may already be sharing content for your company on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or even TikTok. On paper, using social networks to gain visibility and credibility may seem easy. However, social media marketing is not limited to simply disseminating information and promotions online. Social networks have a considerable impact on how consumers perceive companies. Today, content (quality content, moreover) is king! But you still need to know how to communicate it effectively to your target audience. A good social media strategy involves many factors, but it primarily involves avoiding the pitfalls that many brands and companies have already fallen into. Here are 9 mistakes to avoid at all costs in order to establish an impactful long-term social media strategy. Contents

1- Not Having a Defined Communication Plan

Many companies that are taking their first steps in the field of social media simply follow a guide instead of developing a digital marketing plan tailored to the specificities of their business. The first step is to determine your strategy, objectives, posting frequency, tone, editorial line... This is the first thing to assess with clarity in order to get off to a good start. Doing social media marketing without knowing who you are addressing, how to promote your messages, and what steps to follow is like driving a car without knowing your destination and how much fuel you have left. It is a mistake that can nullify all your efforts. Whether you do it alone or with the support of a digital agency, establishing a precise plan of your issues and expectations regarding social media is crucial.

2- Not Interacting with Your Community

Your customers do not follow you on social media to constantly hear sales pitches. They want to learn more about your company and the people behind the brand. If you devote all your time and effort to promoting your products, you risk having less interaction with your content, or even causing consumers to stop following you. It is now accepted that content marketing has much more impact on consumers than traditional advertising. In social media communication, it should be a two-way street! To achieve the necessary return on investment and visibility, start listening and responding to what your target audience is saying about your brand or services. Interact with them daily to create a long-term connection.

3- Publishing Irregularly

Creating an effective social media strategy begins with a coherent editorial calendar. By observing the algorithm of each platform and carefully examining the publication rhythm of competitors with already established engagement, you can estimate the number of daily or weekly posts to publish. On social media, consistency is key: it is not recommended to post your content at an irregular pace. Just as it is important not to post too little, don't overdo it by publishing the same content three times a day: engagement will be greatly reduced, if not non-existent. A sustained rhythm and quality content are the two principles that must be remembered.

4- Being Present on All Social Networks

Do you really need to be present on all networks? The industry of your brand, your target audience, and your marketing objectives are the main factors to consider when deciding which social network you should be active on. It is better to perfect your communication on one or two platforms in consistency with your audience and specific needs. You significantly increase your chances of achieving significant results with custom content curation for the social networks that are most adapted to your business domain.

5- Not Being Interested in How the Algorithm Works

The fact that your audience follows you on social media does not guarantee that your publications will appear in their feed every time. Algorithms determine which content will be visible at the top of each user's feed based on their activity, that is, the elements with which they are likely to interact. You cannot optimize your posts for social media algorithms if you do not understand them. Therefore, it is important to know how each platform and its respective algorithm work. Some questions to ask, regardless of the social network: On average, how many reactions does your content get? What type of content attracts the most attention? What is the best time to publish for engagement?

6- Not Defining a Specific Target Audience

By identifying your target audience, it will be much easier to create a message that resonates with them. You want to focus your efforts on the people most likely to be interested in your products or services in order to not waste your resources. By establishing, in advance, your social media strategy, the persona you are addressing, you can establish the tone, language you want to use, and the values you want to share with your audience.

7- Publishing the Same Content on All Social Media Platforms

If you want to perform well on social media, you must make the effort to generate unique content for each social media account. Twitter, Instagram, and others each have different algorithms and codes, so it is strongly recommended to provide distinct content for each platform on which you publish. By publishing the same content on all networks, not only do you risk boring or annoying your audience, but your approach to social media will appear dull and lifeless.

8- Not Analyzing the Performance of Your Networks

Behind your activity on social networks lies a large amount of data: the time your community spends on each post, the most successful publications, the decrease in interactions one month over another... Failing to measure these precious pieces of information is a common but very damaging marketing mistake. Keeping an eye on your social media analysis tools is therefore essential!

9- Limiting Yourself to One Type of Content

The main reason why you should vary your content on social networks is that algorithms prefer diversity, especially video format. In addition to algorithms, your subscribers will be more interested in a wide range of content. Affinities vary greatly from person to person. For example, some people like to watch videos when studying a subject, while others prefer to glean information through a carousel of images. You can adapt to the different expectations of your audience by offering a variety of formats that will suit everyone. Finally, don't forget to share and follow us on **Facebook** & **Instagram** & **Subscribe**.