Social media, in its current form, has been a major part of the internet since the early 2000s. While MySpace and Facebook pioneered what we now consider modern social networking, the ideas that drive social networking have been present for almost a decade, mainly through services such as blogs, IRC and instant messengers, and even peer-to-peer software. While social networking has given chat and networking a public face, it certainly did not invent online communications.
Given that this technology has been around for a relatively long period of time (at least in internet years) you would expect that companies, individuals, and brands have adapted to the mediums and worked out how to succeed on these platforms. Well, unfortunately, if you really expect that, you would be wrong. Despite years of social media, there are still just as many incompetent and clueless companies as ever.
These six social media mistakes are ones that we see all the time. From companies that are simply unfamiliar with the platforms, all the way to individuals who just won?t listen to feedback, these social media errors pop up continuously, making navigating social media difficult, frustrating, and just a little humorous. Read through, take notes, and make sure that your social media presence is mistake-free.
1) Responding negatively to feedback.
If a customer gives a negative testimonial about your business online, the absolute worst thing to do is respond in anger. Even if your response is justified, the internet ? social media circles particularly ? will quickly dish out mob justice to those that respond with ad-hominem attacks, intimidation, and poor customer service. Remember, social media is 100% public, and before you respond to anything online, check with your PR and marketing professionals for information on how to succeed.
2) Using automated customer communications.
?Thank you for your response. We?ll get back to you in three months.?
Social media gives businesses the ability to contact customers immediately, and that is what you should be doing. Nothing hurts more than a lost long-term customer, and without a clear and quick feedback process, that is what?s going to happen. Your social media team should be monitoring the discussion for your business name, responding to queries, and trying to set things right before customers have to go through support systems.
3) Trash talking competitors.
Don?t do it. Companies that do so look unprofessional, and looking unprofessional is the first step towards losing customers, clients, and online support. Your reputation is everything, and using it to tarnish someone else is poorly planned and very short-term.
4) Running ill-conceived contests.
Please, for your reputation?s sake, if you are running a contest, ensure that it will go smoothly. Quiznos, the sandwich chain, ran an online promotion offering customers free sandwiches in exchange for a simple online coupon. Stores turned down the coupons, customers got angry, and a wave of negative feedback flooded social media networks in response.
5) Being too promotional.
As much as customers like to hear about great deals, they prefer when it is mixed up with the DNA behind your company. While it may seem strange to full time employees, fans and customers love to hear about how your company operates, what you are currently working on, and how you are planning for the future.
6) Practicing spam.
Having someone as a follower is not an excuse to spam them. In many ways, social media inboxes are a more developed and dynamic email inbox. Just like email, social media users hate spam with a passion. If every one of your tweets or status updates is a promotional offer, merchant link, or affiliate sale, do not expect people to hang around long.
Related posts:
- Three Fallacies on Social Media Marketing Feedback
- Three Reasons Not to Respond to Users Via Social Media
- How to Use Social Media to Protect Your Reputation
- Five Rules for Creating Great Social Media Profiles
- Lucrative Benefits of Social Media Marketing to Online Entrepreneurs
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