Are your social media marketing campaigns bringing results? Or an outdated website needs updating?
In this online age dominated by social media, it’s a resource you can’t afford to neglect. With a wider reach and a more direct customer experience, social media can make or break a brand. But if you’re no IT wizard, you may not know how social media marketing works. Or how to tell if a strategy is working as it should.
Signs Your Social Media Marketing Strategy Needs Adjustment
Don’t worry, were’ here to help! Read on for five signs your social media marketing strategy isn’t working.
1. There is a Lack of Engagement
The number of followers your account has isn’t the be all and end all. The best way to measure success is actually through your online performance.
If you have 100,000+ followers, but your posts are only getting 2 or 3 likes and 1 comment, you need to take action. It’s time to rethink your content and switch it up, and find out what your audience want/need.
Go back to stage one and focus on who your target audience is. If you’ve got a younger audience, focus on making it colorful and make use of emojis where they fit.
Test out some templates with your audience via surveys. Find out more about them (likes, dislikes, their daily lives, etc.) and what they would like to see more of from you.
If you’re targeting a more middle-aged professional audience, then be relevant. Keep updated with the latest topics and trends and discuss them. Add interesting facts to your post ang give them useful content that adds something.
What’s most important is you create your brand identity that unique to you. You want to add personality to your posts, as users are more likely to engage if they feel it connects to them.
2. You’ve Ended Up Deprioritizing Your Strategy
Do you have any long-term goals? What about short-term goals? Why are you prioritizing the platforms you’re using? Do you have an active plan to build user engagement?
If you can’t answer those questions, then you may be treating your strategy as an after thought. You may not even have a strategy.
If this is the case, then sit down and work out what you want to achieve. Set out your long-tern and short-term goals. Make sure you’ve researched which platforms will be the right fit to achieve these goals.
Then, make a schedule for your posts ahead of time. You should have an idea of what you’ll post, when and how you’ll build engagement using these posts. Here are some key things you need to set out and put in place:
- business goals
- marketing objectives
- tactics and channels
- content strategy
- content calendar
- budget
- roles
The more detailed you are here, the more likely you are to see better results.
3. You’re Focusing Most Posts on Self-Promotion
When scrolling through a brand’s social media account, what posts are you seeing the most? Do most of them plug a product or service? Or are there entertaining, conversations and informative posts mixed in?
If you’re scrolling through your accounts and notice, it’s product/service heavy this is a no-no. You could be turning off your audience. Most people don’t like content advertisements. Luckily, this is an issue you can fix with ease.
Start making content that will add value for your audience. Write informative posts about topics relating to your products/services. Tips and tricks are always a good route to go down.
Ask your audience questions and get to know them. Encourage them to to engage with you and connect. Ask what issues they’re having related to your industry.
Or ask them how they’re using your product/service out there in the world. You could even do a meet and greet with some of your team members, and let your audience know what they do.
Be human and be personal, this we can’t stress enough! This really is the best way to have a successful social media campaign. Show your personality and make that personal connection with your audience.
4. Your Time & Effort to Results Ratio is Off
If you’re spending a lot of time on your social media accounts, but you’re not getting any returns, this is an issue. The best way to judge this, again, is to look at audience engagement.
Content that has little or no engagement shows that it’s not of use to your audience. You could spend hours each week, and churn out 10+ posts a day. But it’s quality, not quantity. If there is no thought or meaning behind the content, they’re not going to engage your audience.
Start using your time well. Set aside the time you’ll spend each week; 6 hours a week seems to be what most marketers allow for. Using this time you should:
- conduct social media and market research
- conduct audience research
- put together high-quality content and graphics
- study the best time to post and engage with your audience
You might not think 6 hours sounds like a lot. But it’s how you use it that counts. Every well-used minute you spend can make a huge difference.
5. You’re Getting Little or No Traffic
If you’re not getting any traffic, or very little traffic, this isn’t good. No traffic means that your marketing strategies aren’t working. You’re not driving users to your site or your chosen social media accounts.
Most platforms will use their own unique algorithms to work out what content to show users. With Facebook, you need to rely on organic searches and reach to draw in potential users. So check how your chosen platform distributes content and optimize for it.
If you’re seeing a small amount of traffic, then it suggests your marketing needs tweaking. Go through and make sure you’re using the right strategies for your target audience.
Make sure you’re appealing to them, and reaching them on the right, relevant platforms. Once you’re confident of that, then use the platforms complex algorithms. Let them be an advantage not a hinderance by tailoring your content for them.
Don’t Let Your Social Media Marketing Strategy Let You Down
So there you have it! Now you know these 5 signs your social media marketing strategy isn’t working, you’ll know what to look for.
Everyone is human, so remember that when you’re making your social media strategy. Social media marketing is all about mixing the latest tech but with a human touch.
If you want to revitalize your social media marketing strategy, contact us today at Bianca Frank Design. We help businesses keep up a strong social presence, and build a credible, reliable and transparent brand.