Social media engagement can be a bit of a headache if it becomes your responsibility on top of everything else you need to accomplish for the sake of your new business each day. People who do it for a living will tell you that you are being too social, not social enough or social in the wrong places (which is kind of like pitching up to a party you weren’t invited to and then eating all the canapés).

We understand; which is why we’ve made a little list of the most frequent online faux pas and ways you can fix it straight away.

1. You’ve tried everything, but nothing works

AKA your social media strategy is all over the place. You can’t be chasing brand awareness, boosting sales, seeking conversions, establishing brand personality and harvesting client information all at once. If you are trying to wear all of these hats in one go you will end up looking like a clown. The easy fix? Choose one or two goals to start and then use social media in a strategic fashion to achieve it.

2. You’re knocking, but nobody’s home

AKA you are not getting any feedback from your target market over the social networks you are using to market your product or service. The problem could be that you are simply using the wrong networks. The easy fix? You need to find out where your audience hangs out and then make a plan to meet them there. Use your website’s Google Analytics data to see which networks refer the most traffic and then bolster your presence on those.

3. You’re putting it down, but nobody’s picking it up

AKA you are posting until you’re blue in the face but your followers are not liking, sharing or commenting on your posts. Truth? You are in all probability being too self-promotional. Think about it this way – you meet a really cool mountaineer at a party, but all he can talk about is how wonderful his fitness levels are. Wouldn’t you rather hear more about his climb in Nepal?

The easy fix? Create value for your audience. Think about the various ways your product or service helps people and the larger context in which your business operates. For instance – if your company sells backpacks, share stories about the adventures of those who use them; if you sell lipstick, try running a fun promotion that dares users to leave cryptic messages on mirrors in public bathrooms and film the reactions of unwitting passersby. You get the picture.

Still not feeling all that clued up? We get it – social media can be a fickle mistress. Give us a shout if you would like to discuss the ways in which you can reset your online strategy to achieve your business goals.