3 SOCIAL MEDIA MISTAKES YOU'RE PROBABLY MAKING AND HOW TO FIX THEM NOW

Social media has changed the game. The consumer is in control.
Your prospects and clients are mobile, knowledgeable, and leveraging major power in today's economy.

Businesses are no longer able to create the outcome. Selling is no longer a linear process.

Businesses need to focus on creating the experience. Selling is becoming integrative and responsive.

Gary Vaynerchuk, the two-time bestselling author and known as the "king" of social media, says, "Marketers are on social media to sell stuff. Consumers, however, are not...If you want to talk to people while they consume their entertainment, you have to be their entertainment."

Social media is the place to position yourself as a credible and influential expert. Listen to what consumers are saying on social media. Make customers love you by giving them what they want. Build and nurture those relationships. Create the experience they crave!

Real conversation. Real connection.
Common social media mistakes can get in the way of creating that coveted consumer experience.

Here are 3 social media mistakes you're probably making and how to fix them right now!

1) You're on too many social sites or on nothing at all:
Social media is always changing. Jumping on every network without proper consideration dilutes your ability to authentically connect with your audience. Without a social media presence at all, you lose an integral part of communicating with today's consumer.

How to fix it?
Focus on the networks that work for your business, prospects, and client base.
Ask your current clients to reply to a social media survey.
Keep it simple. It's the quality of your presence on each site that counts.

2) You're treating all social site as if they are the same: Every network has a purpose, language, and "personality." Don't copy and paste the same bio or profile. While certain information is needed on all of them, each network requires something a little different for the best impact. Don't mass blast your messages in the same format across all networks. This comes across as "spammy", automated, and inauthentic.

How to fix it:
Spend some time on each platform to get a feel of its "personality" and audience.
Read the profiles and posts of your industry influencers on each network.
Customize your posts and content for each network.

3) You're selling instead of telling: You want to connect, you don't want to broadcast. Don't just post and run! Offer value and engage in consistent and authentic conversation. As Vaynerchuk says, "...you have to be their entertainment."

How to fix it:
Tell your story! The best stories have challenges, triumphs, and real honesty.
Show your audience you care by listening and acknowledging their presence.
Post relevant and current content your audience is interested in.

Engage and entertain!
With the world of social media changing every day, a successful social media marketing strategy requires diligence, vigilance, persistence, and most importantly, patience.

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