The answer as to why they’re Losing On Social Media will surprise you. . .
Social media is the new “it” factor for small businesses. Many small business owners are flocking to social media in an effort to drive new leads and sales, but many are failing to achieve much of a return on their investment.
There are some important reasons for why small businesses are losing on social media. The good news is that they can be remedied fairly easily in most cases.
1) Expecting Too Much
When many people sign up for a personal account on a social network, they usually have a list of contacts they can connect with quickly. This may be part of why many small business owners fail to get much of a return on their social media efforts. Without those quick and easy connections, many become frustrated.
When starting a company Twitter account or a Facebook page, the followers and fans can take a long time to develop. Expecting to have a large audience in a short amount of time is a mistake. Many begin pushing their message and sales pitches in an effort to get any profit at all.
Small businesses need to temper their expectations and work on earning new followers by engaging more and advertising less.
2) Advertising Instead Of Building Relationships
There is a time and place for pitching products and services, but that should come after a warm relationship has been established. Users on social media don’t want to be sold to. They want interesting stories, helpful replies, and tips to make their lives easier and better.
The job of a small business on social media is to form a relationship that leads to trust and brand recognition. Once that trust is built, pitching an offer as a solution is much more effective.
Building strong relationships with your target audience is crucial to success on social media.
3) Not Putting In The Time
A major factor in social media success is activity. A high activity level is vital for keeping your audience’s attention and developing brand recognition and awareness.
Many small business owners lack the time to handle social media. Hiring someone to take care of social media relations can help to remedy this. It is important to ensure whoever is in charge of social media is well trained and understands the expectations for use ofall accounts.
Engagement and activity are vital, but professionalism should not be compromised.
Setting Yourself Up For Success
Perhaps the biggest explanation for why small businesses are losing on social media is a lack of direction and understanding. Taking the time to plan your social media strategy and set expectations is the only way to ensure you get a return on your investment. social media
