Social media marketing has a real allure for startups and small business. It is one of the best vehicles, ever, for propelling your business forward fast, and gaining momentum you can build on. And to a certain extent, its free!
However, social media has to be done right. You have to know what to do, and what to avoid.
As we’ve talked about before, “you only get one chance to make a good first impression” and the same goes with your prospects and customers on social media. If you lose that first chance, you’re going to fall behind. And stragglers have to work twice as hard to cover lost ground on social sites.
So, here are a few social media cardinal sins that us tradies must vow to never commit:
1. You don’t have to be everywhere.
Yes, the temptation is strong. The perception is every social media site is a fertile hunting ground for prospects and if you don’t get them, somebody else will.
The focus should always be on quality, not quantity. And, lets face it, it’s not easy to come up with original and relevant content for every different social media network. Start by choosing the networks that have the most targeted prospects and the largest audiences, and then as you expand, you can experiment with other networks.
2. Don’t be that guy.
You must find a balance between interesting content and engagement, and one way advertising. Follow the 80/20 rule – 80% Engaging content, 20% promotion.
Self promotion is fine, but extensive promotion without any audience engagement is basically small business social media suicide.
Creative marketing will increase your audience, but the old fashioned one way advertising will only hurt your business.
3. Failing to plan is planning to fail.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again… you have to have a plan. You need to establish a posting schedule, and better still, follow it.
Your Audience will get used to your presence and know that you engage with them.
Clear objectives, simple planning and execution, will not only make your social media campaigns easy to implement, it will also enable you to measure results and track ROI.
4. Boring content is counterproductive.
It’s important to talk with the your audience, not at them. Make an impressive entry with humor, an intelligent response, a genuine question, etc. Make sure your true personality gets into your posts.
Your main objective on social media is to attract people and stimulate engagement, so don’t bore people.
5. Stay enthusiastic.
Many small businesses lose steam after a strong start, sometimes out of laziness and lack of focus but very often because of impatience.
Know your audience and be prepared to put in effort. Not everyone has a natural wit, and a flair for language… but you can work on these things. There is every chance you’ll find yourself coming up with cool stuff that shows your audience you care. It’s an enjoyable thing to do, so enjoy it.
What’s next?
- Join our Kick-Ass Tradies Facebook Group, for access to trade business specific conversations, tips and resources, plus a like-minded community of tradies.
- Book a 15-minute Game Plan Call with Andy, owner of Dr. DRiP plumbing and co-founder of Lifestyle Tradie, to clarify your priorities and get clear action steps.
