Why Your Social Media Strategy Isn't Working (And What To Do About It)

You know that you need a better social media strategy, but it's hard to find the time. You've tried everything, but your followers just aren't growing and your engagement is dismal. What do you do?

Social media is not a one-size-fits-all platform - what works for one business might not work for another. There is no magic formula, but there are some common mistakes that businesses make that can lead to social media failure.

Here are the top reasons why your social media strategy isn't working - and what you can do to fix it!

You are always pushing your product or service

You're being too salesy. And that's a huge turn-off for most people. If you're constantly shoving your product or service down people's throats, they're going to tune you out. Social media is about building relationships and engaging with your audience, not selling to them. So back off on the sales pitch and focus on being social.

You're not posting enough (or the right kind of) content

If you're not posting regularly, people are going to forget about you. And if you're only posting content that's all about you, your product or service, they're going to get bored quickly. Mix it up! Share interesting articles, photos, infographics and videos that will resonate with your audience. Ask questions and start conversations. social media is about two-way communication, not one-way broadcasting.

You're not using social media to its full potential

Social media is a great way to build relationships with potential and current customers. But it's also an incredible tool for market research. Use social media to find out what people are saying about your industry, your competition and your product or service. Monitor social media channels for questions you can answer and problems you can solve. Turn social media into a customer service channel. Use it to build relationships, not just to sell stuff.

You sound like a robot

When you use social media for business, it's important to remember that you're talking to real people. Be human. Be yourself. Show some personality. Share pics and videos that will resonate with your audience. Ask questions and start conversations, social media is about two-way communication, not just one-way broadcasting.

You're not being social enough

If you want social media to work for your business, you need to be social. That means engaging with other people and building relationships. It's not enough to post a few times a week and then disappear for the rest of the week. Social media is about building relationships, and that takes time and effort.

You're not being consistent

If you want social media to work for your business, you need to be consistent. That means posting regularly and consistently, day after day, week after week. social media is a marathon, not a sprint. You need to be in it for the long haul if you want to see results.

You're not using the right platform

Social media is a big, sprawling landscape, and there are dozens of different platforms out there. You need to find the right platform (s) for your business. The best way to do that is to research your target audience and see where they're hanging out online. Then, create a social media presence on that platform.

You treat social media as if its a free resource

Social media is never free, it costs time and money. If you're not willing to invest either of those things, then social media is not the right marketing channel for you. To make it function, commit your time to it! If you don't develop a plan or a strategy, social media will just be a time suck with no real ROI.

You’re not adding value

I frequently hear "We do great on social media, we're on X, Y, and Z." When we dig deeper, though, we often find that they haven't actually contributed anything of importance or value to their potential audience – they are simply broadcasting. Think of social media as a megaphone, make sure you're saying something worth hearing.

It’s not integrated into your business

Social media should not be a siloed effort. It needs to be integrated into the business as a whole, which means that it needs to have a strategy that ties in with your business goals.

To see the benefit you need to think about how these communication channels can integrate into your existing systems and processes, and you will start to see a natural increase in your audience.

You aren’t taking it seriously

Social media is not a short-term fad that you can just dip your toe into when it suits you. It’s here to stay and if you want to reap the rewards then you need to be in it for the long haul.

This means being consistent with your postings, engaging with your audience on a regular basis, and monitoring your social media channels to see what is and isn’t working. It takes time to build up a following and even longer to start seeing any real benefits for your business.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a social media following. Be patient, consistent, keep putting out quality content and engage your audience. If you do that you will reap the rewards for your business. Social media can no longer be ignored or used as an afterthought. It’s a powerful tool that when used correctly will propel your business forward.

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