12 Social Media Marketing Mistakes You Should Correct in 2024

Getting anywhere on social media these days can be a painfully slow process. It’s a complaint we hear often when talking with prospects. At times, it can seem like your follower count has stalled and you’ve reached an engagement plateau.?

More often than not, this sluggish growth is the result of how you approach social media and marketing to others. You may be doing something to discourage new clients without even realizing it!

If that’s the case, don’t fret. Navigating the realm of social media is a trial-and-error process for many. You have the power to help turn it around.?

To help gain new community members for your organization, here are 12 reasons why your social media presence may not be growing.?

Thinking hashtags are dead

Do Instead: Use 4-8 relevant hashtags for posting content.

Hashtags are not dead because they continue to serve as valuable tools for categorizing and discovering content on social media platforms, making it easier for users to find and engage with relevant posts. To use them effectively, choose relevant and specific hashtags, limit their number to avoid clutter, and research trending tags to boost the visibility of your posts.

Only posting reels

Do Instead: Diversify your content plan.

To diversify your content plan for social media, incorporate a variety of content formats such as images, videos, infographics, and written posts to cater to different audience preferences. Additionally, explore different topics, themes, and posting schedules to keep your audience engaged and reach a broader demographic.

Posting whenever you are free

Do Instead: Post at the right time.

Posting at the right time on social media is crucial to maximize engagement. Research and analyze your target audience's online behavior to identify their peak activity hours, which often vary by platform. Experiment with different posting times, and use social media analytics tools to track when your content receives the most interaction, allowing you to refine your posting schedule for optimal reach and impact.

Using only square posts (primarily related to Instagram)

Do Instead: Create varying shaped posts.

Using only square posts on social media can limit your creative options and engagement potential. Different content formats, such as landscape and portrait-oriented images, videos, and stories, can capture attention more effectively, offer a fresh perspective, and cater to various platform-specific features, ultimately enhancing your overall social media strategy.

Ignoring SEO-friendly captions

Do Instead: Include keywords in captions.

Using SEO-friendly captions on social media is crucial as it helps increase the discoverability of your content and attracts a wider audience. Effective captions incorporate relevant keywords, phrases, and hashtags that resonate with your target audience and align with their search queries, boosting your content's visibility in search engine results and on the social media platform itself. By optimizing your captions, you enhance your chances of attracting new followers, improving engagement, and driving organic traffic to your social media profiles and website.

Only running promotional posts

Do Instead: Share actionable content.

Sharing actionable content on social media is essential because it provides real value to your audience and encourages them to take meaningful steps. Whether it's offering practical tips, how-to guides, or advice, such content not only fosters trust and engagement but also positions you as a knowledgeable and authoritative source in your niche, ultimately driving more significant results and building a loyal following.

Leaving generic, auto-generated comments

Do Instead: Personalize your responses.

Personalizing responses to comments on social media is crucial for building genuine connections with your audience. It shows that you value and appreciate their engagement, creating a sense of community and trust, which can lead to increased brand loyalty and stronger customer relationships.

Deleting posts that don’t perform

Do Instead: Only archive outdated posts.

While low-performing posts may not garner immediate engagement, they can still have long-term value by contributing to your content history and showcasing your brand's journey. Additionally, archived posts can be revisited, updated, or repurposed in the future to better suit changing trends or audience preferences, providing a potential second chance for success and maintaining a consistent online presence.

Avoiding the repurposing of content

Do Instead: Repurpose content every quarter, if not, every year.

Repurposing content each year on social media is essential to extend the lifespan of your valuable content assets and ensure they reach new audience segments. By revisiting and updating evergreen content, you can keep it fresh, adapt it to changing trends, and continue to provide value to your audience over time, ultimately saving time and effort in content creation while maximizing its impact.

Over-complicating your designs

Do Instead: Create easy and practical designs.

Simple designs on social media can often be more effective as they are visually appealing and easy for your audience to grasp quickly. Clean and uncluttered graphics or images, with a focus on a clear message or call-to-action, can help your content stand out amidst the noise of busy timelines. Utilizing minimalistic designs can also make your content more shareable and memorable, increasing the likelihood that it resonates with your target audience.

Ignoring unique features like highlights or stories

Do Instead: Have 3-5 updated highlights and post stories throughout the week.

Marketers should post unique post types on social media to create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, as these formats often disappear after a set time, encouraging users to engage with the content in the moment. Additionally, highlights and stories provide an opportunity to share real-time updates, behind-the-scenes content, and temporary promotions, fostering a more authentic and immediate connection with the audience.

Not analyzing your analytics

Do Instead: Measure all key metrics.

Marketers should review and act on analytics because data-driven insights provide a clear understanding of their audience's behavior and preferences, allowing them to refine their strategies and make informed decisions. By analyzing metrics such as engagement rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, marketers can identify what's working and what's not, enabling them to allocate resources more effectively and optimize their campaigns for better results. Regularly monitoring analytics also helps marketers stay agile and adapt to changing trends and customer needs, ensuring that their efforts remain relevant and competitive in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

We want you to be as successful as possible when it comes to navigating and growing consistently on social media. We understand, too, that many factors contribute to your success. Needing help with social media posting and advertising for your organization? Onya can help - reach out today !