Social media marketing is a powerful tool that helps businesses reach more customers, increase brand awareness, and drive sales. However, many of them also fail to maximize the potential of their social media marketing efforts due to a variety of mistakes.
In this article, we’ll look at what some of these mistakes are so that you can avoid them.
1. Fear.
We’re going to be very honest here. We have no statistical data to back this up, but we do have our experiences and our observations.
That being said, we find that fearing social media is the most paralyzing mistake businesses make when diving into the world of digital marketing. We fell into this trap, too.
We made a page for our other start-up a couple of years back. But, because we were afraid of failure and negative reactions, we didn’t post anything nor did we even share it with friends and family.
We know for a fact that many of you have a similar story. Heck, maybe you’re still experiencing it. So trust us when we say you’re missing out on so many benefits. Take the leap!
2. Setting goals that aren’t SMART.
SMART stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Time-bound
Many businesses, including PT clinics, find that they fell short of their expectations because, well… their expectations were way too grandiose to begin with.
Setting SMART goals help by making sure that your expectations are tethered to both time and reality. And guess what it means when you achieve these goals. Growth. That’s what.
3. Poorly executing your strategy (or lack thereof).
Assuming you’ve already set SMART goals, the next thing you have to figure out is how to get there. This is where strategies are made – and not having one is as sure as you can get to disappointment.
With that said, poorly executing a supposedly solid strategy is also another common reason why social media marketing efforts crumble.
So, stick to your strategy as best as you can. It’s your roadmap to growth after all. And, should you get sidetracked, do what you can to reel back your focus.
4. Inconsistencies.
This can be true about when you’re posting, what you’re posting, what voice you’re using in your posts, and other things.
These inconsistencies can send mixed messages to followers and potential customers. And, when the message you’re sending is erratic, it also becomes difficult for your customers to remember what your business stands for and what value it brings them.
5. Treating all social platforms as if they were the same.
While it does work sometimes, posting the same things on different social platforms isn’t generally good practice. After all, they all have different algorithms and users approach them differently, too.
For example, Twitter has a character limit and is therefore great for posting quick updates and snippets of information. Instagram, on the other hand, is mainly for sharing photos and short videos.
Failing to understand the idiosyncrasies of the platforms your physical therapy clinic is on also means that you won’t be maximizing their potential.
6. Focusing your efforts on too many social networks.
It’s tempting to get brand recognition on all of the most popular social media platforms but you also run the risk of stretching your team too thin. And, as a business seeking growth, you likely don’t have the luxury and resources to risk that.
Instead, focus on platforms that actually resonate with your target audience. You reap sweeter rewards that way.
7. Failing to create an accurate buyer persona.
If you didn’t know yet, a buyer persona is a representation of who your ideal customer is. This includes basic demographic information like age and gender but it also takes into account their interests, jobs, buying patterns, what social media platforms they use, and other things.
Thus, a buyer persona can also serve as your basis when crafting your strategy. Without it, your social media efforts won’t be targeted at the right people which, of course, can ultimately lead to failure.
8. Refusing to pay for ads and boosts on social media.
We know, we know. You have a tight budget. With social media advertising, though, a little goes a long way. You can even start advertising your posts with just 1 dollar. How far you’re willing to take it is up to you.
Having said that, paid advertising allows you to get in front of a targeted group of people that fit your buyer persona. This sniper approach can yield more meaningful results than spamming content all over your feed.
9. Not pairing your social media efforts with SEO.
Speaking of content, SEO and social media are 2 sides of the same digital marketing coin. You can find a certain level of success if you only did one but you will also be setting your brand’s ceiling a little too low.
Now, websites are less intuitive to make than a simple social media profile. However, many website builders make the process much simpler.
WordPress, for example, has templates that you can use to design all types of sites, from blogs down to e-commerce. It also comes with SEO tools that you can install to help you craft content that’s easier to find.
10. Your social media posts lack CTAs.
CTAs, or Call-To-Actions, are phrases that encourage your audience to do ” something”. Generally speaking, this “something” is a phrase or sentence that entices your audience to take the next step in their buyer’s journey.
For example, your post is targeted toward people who are training for a marathon. Your CTA could be something along the lines of “train with our sports PTs today!”
Without CTAs, it’s easy for potential customers to forget about what you’ve posted and simply move on. It’s also a waste of opportunities that may have helped turn leads into paying customers.
11. Being too formal.
A big reason why social media is so crucial to the success of today’s businesses is that it helps establish a more human connection. Being too formal, though, might make you sound robotic.
Don’t get me wrong. Formality still has its place in modern-day marketing. But when you’re on social media, it’s generally better to speak with your audience more casually. Speak to them as if it’s not a business transaction but also in a way that aligns with your brand’s personality.
12. Making it all about you.
Speaking of establishing human connections, all social media platforms are networks where different people connect. So, making it all about you makes your brand look way too salesy – and trust us, that was never a good look. Still isn’t.
I mean, don’t we all put our heads down and try to walk past credit card salesmen when we’re out shopping? They’re all way too pushy, it’s downright annoying. Don’t be the brand that your audience treats like credit card reps.
Instead, try interacting with others without the obnoxious need to market your brand. Comment on your audience’s posts. Share useful information with your target customer even if it doesn’t directly benefit you. Let them know you’re there so that when the time comes for them to make a buying decision, they might remember you, too.
13. Not optimizing your posts for engagement.
Engagement is the primary currency of social media. Without likes, comments, shares, and other similar metrics, your posts will hardly gain any traction (if at all) even if it was the most informative piece of content in the entire world.
Engagement is what drives conversations and what encourages people to take action. When you don’t invest time into optimizing your posts for engagement, then you risk losing out on potential leads or customers who could have spent more time on your post had it been more engaging.
P.S.: We have 9 awesome examples of interactive social media posts you can try out.
14. Not tracking results and progress.
First of all, how would you even know if your ROI was a result of your social media efforts if you didn’t track anything? Second, how would you even know if your social media campaign was successful if you didn’t track your results?
The bottom line here is that metrics help business owners like you and us understand what’s working, what’s not, and what things can be done better.
15. Thinking your business is bigger than it actually is.
Allow me to be the friend that tells it to you straight.
YOU ARE NOT A BIG BRAND.
There are physical therapy clinics larger than yours. You don’t have the same resources that they do. You don’t have the same reach. You don’t command the same brand authority.
Too harsh? Sure. But here’s the thing: It’s a large market so no matter the size of your business, you can always have a slice of that cake. This goes back to setting SMART goals. Aim for growth but be realistic about your timeline and strategy.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, we think the primary reason why social media marketing efforts fail is the paralyzing fear of failure. In fact, we bet many of you already have social profiles for your brands but aren’t using them as much as you want to.
But don’t worry. We can manage your brand’s social media for you. Give us a call and let’s talk about what help you need and how we can provide it.
