“You know we have someone that knows how to post on social media already, right? They even have access to HootSuite and everything.”
A few weeks ago, that was said to me in the middle of a meeting with potential clients.
They are failing at social media.
And even though social media continues to be at the top of the list for most business owners (and marketers), it’s just not giving them results. It’s not yielding a return on investment. It’s not doing anything.
Why? Why are these companies failing at social media?
1. You Don’t Have a Strategy
The number one reason we see companies failing at social media is they don’t have a marketing strategy.
In fact, most business owners don’t even understand what a marketing strategy is. In our meetings, they jump straight to tactics, asking us questions about social technology.
What a strategy ISN’T: A Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter presence. These are all tactics. “Making a post” is a tactic.
What a strategy IS:
- Competitive and situational analysis
- Customer profile
- Market trends
- Positioning
- Tactics
- Success metrics
- And more…
Strategy answers the why but also the who, what, when, and where. Your strategy is the plan of action you’ll take to achieve your goals. It is your marketing master plan. And without it, your social media will fail.
2. You Have the Wrong People In Charge
“We have an intern for our social media.”
Let me tell you a story that illustrates why this is a mistake. A few years ago, a client had a fire in their facility. There were 2,000 people in the building. The CEO was interviewed in person by the press- both on TV and in print. However, every media outlet pulled quotes directly from the client’s Facebook page.
And you put an intern in charge.
Social media is the forward-facing voice of your brand. It is the first place people come for important news, reviews and to determine if they want to do business with you.
It’s also the first place the media goes in times of crisis.
Managing your business’s social media is not the place for an intern or even a new marketer with no experience. Because it’s more than tactics, a seasoned marketing veteran can create a strategy, work toward your goals and be the voice of your brand online. After all, social media is more about sociology and psychology than technology.
Your social media is failing if you don’t understand how it can be strategically used, in the right hands, to grow your business.
We would love to talk about your company’s social media and how you can move toward success. Schedule a call.