Running business can be so hectic, as a business owner or manager, you try to catch up with lot of things. We often hear the internet is the new haven, You don’t want to be left behind. Before you put up your next post, make sure you are not repeating these common social media mistakes.

1. Caring too much about existing page likes or follows

You cant take likes and follow to the bank. You need ways to reach new people every day. The more you reach new people, the more likely you are to meet hungry to buy the customers.

2. 
   Not understanding how social media networks show your post to followers.

Facebook who owns Instagram, the regular Facebook feeds, messenger and Whatsapp will show content you post to only about 5.5% of your total followers ie if you have 1000 page likes or followers, each time you post, your post will reach about 55 out of your 1000 followers. You need ways to increase your reach.

3. 
   Not professionally set up social media channel: A good set up social media channel should include, a profile picture, cover photo, page description, a call to action, and a consistent branded content. Your message and branding materials need to be consistent.
4. 
   Not knowing why to create content:
   When you create content on social media, you can:
   • Tell your business story.
   • Engage your audience.
   • Connect with new customers.
   Social media content has two primary elements: text and visuals.
   The visual is your photo or video, and the text is the caption that tells the story behind that photo or video. A lot of business owners’ posts always call to buy. You need to create a relationship.
5. 
   Stuck in finding new customers:

Your past customers are a huge asset to your business, especially in times like this when leads may be hard to come by. It’s more important than ever to maintain a strong relationship with your past and existing clients so they stay loyal to your business. According to the 80/20 rule; 20% of customers make up for 80% sales. Social media is so intuitive ever than before now to market to existing customers till you get a referral. It is smart enough to look for your customers when handed data like name, email, or phone number, yet many small businesses spend most of their marketing efforts on finding new customers instead of nurturing the ones they already have. It’s an ongoing struggle as you think about your business goals.

6. 
   Making do with papers/hardcopy:

The modern business should only use hardcopy records as reference or backup. Imagine trying to figure out who bought from you a particular item last month. That will be tedious paperwork, it could have been a click away if you had automated.

7. 
   Marketing is an Investment, Not expenses:

Most family shops and small businesses don’t set aside a marketing budget, so there’s not much money to go around for marketing. Here’s the thing, though: every company needs marketing. Whether you have a product, service, or idea, it requires support and encouragement to make its way into the world and its cost money. Not budgeting for marketing especially digital marketing is like stopping a watch to save time.

8. 
   Not Understanding the Customers Journeys: The customer journey (sometimes called the buyer’s journey) refers to the experiences that people have before deciding to purchase a product or service. It can be roughly divided into three stages:
   
   Awareness: When the customer first learns about a business or product.
   
   Consideration: When the customer becomes interested in a business or product.
   
   Conversion: When the customer decides to buy a product or service.
   Every marketing journey needs a different approach. Your business needs to create that emotion first before trying to sell because people make a decision off of mention and back it up with logic
9. 
   No goal, planning, and winning strategy: An effective digital marketing goal requires strategy, planning is essential for any online business to take advantage of its many marketing opportunities. Many businesses fail to get ahead of their competition simply because they don’t know how to adapt to the ever-changing world of digital media and what tactics to apply to their marketing campaigns.
10. 
    Not having Social Media Content Calendar
    A well-maintained social media content calendar keeps all your marketing efforts focused on the same goal. In doing so, you’re able to strategically implement a plan of action for your overall marketing strategy. It also allows you to analyze data across all social media platforms for a better reading of what IS working and what is NOT.
    It also makes your life easier when creating posts by reducing the need to dig for content. You’ll be able to look across all your marketing efforts and make informed decisions about the timing of your social posts. With a solid organizational system in place, you won’t go into a full panic mode when deer hunting season is in full swing and you need to brainstorm a quality Facebook post to promote your brand for that crucial time.
11. 
    Not Embracing remarketing:
    Research has shown a potential customer has to see an advertisement several times before making a decision to purchase. Some say that the ad has to be viewed at least three times, and others propose that it must be as many as seven times.
    However, nobody will tell you that a single exposure to a marketing message is effective. The point is repetition matters. Marketers refer to this mysterious magic number as the effective frequency—or the number of times an ad must be viewed before a decision is made.
    
    
12. Underutilizing word of mouth marketing: Business owners should learn to directly message followers about their product and services. People feel important when directly contacted rather. They should be willing to talk to real people, they will get direct feedback also. The business should not overly depend on post, status or stories to reach out

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