Have you heard the story about the business owner that puts a ton of effort into social media and after 6 months – says “That was a waste of time…”

Usually it was a waste of time is because there was more focus on ROI instead of engaging your audience.

Here is a quick list of social media mistakes that I think negate your efforts –

The “Post & Run”

This irks me more than anything.  Starting a discussion on LinkedIn or posting a question on Facebook and not responding to the comments.

That deserves a “C’mon Man!”  Every comment must have a reply or be acknowledged.

I’ll forgive you when your audience hits six figures… Until then respond!

“Social Bragging”

I have to admit that from time to time I am guilty of this…

Have you ever looked at someone’s profile and all they post are happy smiling customers gushing about their product/service, rainbows and unicorns?

Do you have a Facebook friend that is constantly posting photos of their vacations, new cars, or how wonderful their life is?

I don’t know about you, those posts make me want to gag.

That’s what you are doing to your community…

The “I Must be Lost Post”

When sharing an update respect the tone of the platform that you are posting to.

Do you know most people using Facebook are scrolling with their phone?

Your 200-word post is going to be missed because it’s too much to read on a phone.  A better place to post that is your blog or website…

A one sentence “tease” with a link and a photo will get many more clicks.

“Social Bullying”

My son is learning about this in Kindergarten and since we haven’t attended in a while – I thought we should review…

Have you seen this type of post – “We apologize for letting you down, it wasn’t our fault, it was the XYZ shipping company.”

A negative post will not have a positive effect on your brand… I can guarantee that.

The “We Got Post”

We got new phones, new computers, we painted our office, we are having an anniversary…

I have news for you – the only person that cares about these things is you.

Your community wants news that is relevant to their problems and how you can make their life easier.

If you have a new phone system – does that mean that the wait time will be shorter?  Or does it mean that I will no longer be able to speak with a live person?

Take a look at your posts – How many of these are you guilty of?

Do you have any you would like to add to the list?

I don’t know if there was something in the water or maybe it was a full moon – The question of the week was –

“How do I get started with Social Media?”

Every conversation went the same way –

“I have a few hours a week I can dedicate to it – what do I do now?”

To maximize your efforts start with creating a profile on the platform that your customers are most likely to be hanging out on.  For most of you I would say that’s either Houzz or Facebook.

“Why don’t I create profiles on every platform?”

Sure you could do that, I think this strategy is more likely to lead to burn out… I like to compare it to a crash diet – it’s very difficult to go from 0 – 60 overnight.  Social media is a marathon not a sprint – so pace yourself.

“How often do I share content?”

As often as you can… The catch here is once you decide on a schedule stick to it.  Consistency is important.

“I’m not a writer, do people really want to read my content?”

The good news is Facebook is not the NY Times – so it doesn’t matter if you’re a “writer.”

A few easy ways to create content is –

• Any question that you are asked is a potential post.  People like information so give it to them.
• People love lists!
• Share resources that you think your audience will find value in.
• Share an article and give you opinion on it.
• Share a funny quote or photo.
• Listen to your audience and respond.

The hardest part of social media is making the commitment… If you have that, you’re already ahead of most…

Your turn –

What did you do when you first started with social media?

What advice do you have for a newbie?

Did you get started and then run out of gas?

How can I help?

Post your questions below.