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Why You’re Not Getting Results on Social Media

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Social media marketing is a cost-effective way to reach a target audience. Yet small businesses often tell me they are not getting results on social media.

I help clients work through this type of frustration all the time. Here are some common reasons businesses don’t see the results they want on social media.

No Social Media Strategy

As a default, I like to work off of a strategy. But I am learning that the majority of people see that word as a negative. Jumping right into doing things on social media may seem like a great way to avoid the perceived pain of planning, but doing so sets you up for even more frustration.

Activity without an underlying plan has a slim chance of helping you achieve your goals. You need to take the time to define your goals and research the specific ways to use social media to move toward that goal.

No one has unlimited time. You need to make sure every second you spend on social media is moving you toward the goal you want to achieve.

Squirrel!

Social media platforms crop up and add features all the time. It is easy to get distracted by the latest option and lose focus on what you want to achieve. Yes, Clubhouse is growing in use, but is it a tool that moves you toward your goal?

Your strategy needs to be an evolving document that takes advantage of new tools that are a fit. It also needs to morph as you learn what resonates and what falls flat with your audience. The fast paced nature of social media means that you can waste less time doing things that don’t work.

Be Real About Your Time

I recently showed a client how to post to her new blog. I suggested that she post once a month, based on my knowledge of her goals and her time available to blog. She wanted to do more and committed to posting once a week. It’s been four months now, and there have been no posts.

Be real with yourself about the time and resources that you have to commit to social media. It is better to do what you can than to over commit. That just sets you up for a sense of failure and could really disenfranchise your target audience.

Another client spent his whole marketing budget on social media efforts in the first 3 months of the year. With social media, the effort is over the long-term. Short bursts are not effective. You are better off pacing your resources in a way that will allow you to sustain a level of effort over time.

Putting It Off

If you are like most small business owners, you probably really don’t know where you stand on social. You are afraid to ask about what’s not working or look into a strategy because you just can’t add one more thing to your plate.

I hear you! If you are not getting results on social media, I offer a 60 day online presence boot camp. In a short period of time, we’ll dig into what you are doing and come away with a plan that you can work with moving forward. None of us has time to spend on anything that’s not getting results. Let’s turn that around for your business.

Social Media Connects Brands and Customers

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More pandemic research confirms that online touches – and social media in particular – are important tools for connecting and engaging customers. Salesforce​ surveyed over 3,500 consumers worldwide to learn how consumers engage with brands. Social media emerges as the most influential channel for communicating with consumers.

Social media was found to be the  the most interesting and most noticed channel across all demographics when asked to compare social, television and email. 54% of consumers say they notice brand content on social media always or frequently — a higher figure than any other channel.

The survey findings highlight three trends.

  1. Consumers value organizational models and use of technology that provide differentiated, digital-first customer engagement.
  2. Customers value personalized, empathetic engagement and expect messages that resonate with their individual needs.
  3. Metrics like customer satisfaction and digital engagement can be used to optimize online outreach.

Advice for Brands

The results also offered some advice for brands.

  • 59% of consumers believe the frequency of messages should be decreased
  • 58% say the variety of messages should increase
  • 73% want messages to focus on products rather than brand messages

Social Media Marketing, Emphasis on the Social

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Social media has an important role to play for every business. During COVID shutdowns more than ever we saw that social media serves a window on the world. It is an important place that we connect as people, even when we can’t connect in person.

Your marketing needs to honor and elevate this need for connectedness. Our brands need to be social. We need to connect with people as people, not just revenue sources.

How to Market on Social Media

Build relationships. Use social media to connect, build relationships and communicate. Ask your network how they are doing. Ask for their thoughts and ideas. Acknowledge the world beyond your brand and the stresses as well as the celebrations we have in common.

Be empathetic. Show that you care about things beyond what is immediately important to your brand. Share a funny meme, just because. React to what your network posts. Create moments of community.

Be transparent. Don’t try to hide your motivations. When you are looking to sell, be honest that is what you are doing. When you are promoting something because it benefits you, be open about that too. Your honesty is integral to your relationship building online.

Plan for Success

With the principles of relationship marketing in mind, create your social media marketing plan. Don’t think you will remember all these important elements. Don’t leave your success to chance.

Develop a written plan to guide you day to day, week to week. A plan ensures that you implement all your good ideas using best practices. It defines your goal and how you will measure progress.