The 7 Social Marketing Blunders To Leave Behind in 2015

Brands are getting more and more adept when it comes to social media marketing, but there’s still a long way to go. Moving into 2016, there are a number of course corrections brands need to make — and a number of faulty practices that they need to leave behind.

Here are the biggest mistakes brands made in 2015 that they should stop making in 2016.

1. Measuring the wrong metrics

It’s almost 2016 and many companies are still measuring their success on how many fans and followers they’ve gained. This is a very simple metric. There are countless other metrics that are more telling about your success on social.

Going into 2016, the top metrics you need to be measuring are engagement, reach, frequency, negative feedback, and demographic targeting of ads. Measuring through fan counts only is not a way to measure at all.

2. Focusing on going “viral”

Agencies still are pitching brands with ideas to make a video that goes viral. This is shortsighted and misses the mark. Virality shouldn’t be your end goal — but shareability should.

In a study we did around YouTube videos, we found that brand viral videos really don’t have a long term impact — in general, after 15 days the brand that created the viral video returns to getting the same amount of attention as they did before.

Instead, focus on making all of your content shareable. This is a much more strategic, attainable, and measurable goal. It also ensures you’ll never just be a one-hit wonder. Rather, you’ll continually be making content your audience appreciates and shares.

3. Using poor creative

Social media is a major channel, and it’s one with a ton of competition among companies vying for attention. Match the quality of your content to the channel it’s on. You wouldn’t air a poor quality ad on TV for the world to see, would you?

Raise your standards for your creative content on social. (Especially on Instagram, where brands are really bringing out the high quality visuals!)

4. Being desperate

Posting cat videos? Seriously? Unless you’re a pet brand, this doesn’t add any value to your audience. This is a desperate attempt to generate engagement, and it isn’t meaningful.

When you have nothing to say as a brand, it’s sometimes better to say nothing at all. Post less, and post quality.

5. Distorting your own stats

A lot of brands still use measurements like theoretical reach (calculated by multiplying mentions of your campaign by the audience of the place they were mentioned) to inflate their success. These type of measurements are unsuccessful and distort your own stats. Instead of theoretical reach, use metrics like estimated reach or potential reach — which are much closer to reality when it comes to seeing how many people saw your campaign. Don’t distort stats just to paint a pretty picture!

6. Closing your Facebook wall

Major brands still have closed Facebook walls, meaning Facebook users can’t post on their walls. Why? What’s the point? You’re blocking off a ton of feedback from users, including your customers who have questions about your products or services.

It’s social media; be social.

7. Auto-responding to social media users

A lot of brands use auto-responders to reply to users asking customer service questions. This is a big turn-off for customers. Auto-responses just show customers that you don’t have the time or care to adequately help them. See customer care on social as an opportunity — not a burden — and invest in an active social customer care team.

Going into 2016, let's make sure we take the best social media practices with us and leave the rest behind.