As entrepreneurs, you all know the value of social media for your businesses. According to Statistics Canada (March 2021), 77% of Canadians regularly engage with social media, and among those aged 25 to 34, that number climbs to over 90%. 

According to a 2019 study by canadiansinternet.com, 86% of Canadians interact with businesses over social media, and these folks spend 80% of their time on social media interacting with companies. So, businesses need to get their social media right. 

Here are some top pitfalls in social media and how to avoid them:

Don’t try and be on all social media platforms. It’s much smarter to pick the best platforms for you and your business and do a great job on those, then spread yourself too thin and waste time on platforms that don’t do what you need. Think about your target audience, where they would be, and where they would like you to be.

Don’t post the same thing across all of your social media. Each platform focuses on a different way to interact and engage, and one post does not fit all. Instagram is great for visual cues about your products or fun activities your customers can try. Twitter is good for quick quotes or wordsmithing; Facebook is a good interactive tool. 

Think about your target audience. Who is your customer, and what are they looking for? Don’t waste time going after a social media audience who is not your customer. While that might bring you larger numbers, they might not translate into larger sales.

Don’t make your content all about selling your product. Customers like social media as entertainment and an escape, not as one long commercial. Some product placement is ok, but intersperse those posts with more personal ones, interactive tools, giveaways, and posts about your region. Show that your business is part of the community around it.

Ensure to engage and respond to customer questions and comments on social media. Many customers will ask questions of businesses on social media, and this is your chance to interact and possibly make a sale, or at least make your business stand out positively in their minds. 

Don’t post too much; or not enough. Yes, this is a tricky one. The idea is to post consistently so that people know you are in business, aware, engaged, and part of their world, but not so much that they feel spammed to death. As a general guide, for Facebook, five to seven times a week is plenty; Instagram, once a day; and Twitter, five or so times a day. 

Use Instagram stories. These are a good way to build your followers, engagement and audience, so don’t neglect them. They should be short, vibrant, and fun, a way for customers to see your company and what it is up to in a good way. 

Be positive. People aren’t on social media for the bad news, and there is enough of it out there. If your company can be a beacon of positivity…while not totally ignoring the reality out there…users will enjoy interacting with you and think of you first when they require your product or service. Show and share the good stuff, and you will be rewarded.

Did you know that we post two blog posts a month that are all about entrepreneurship in our community? Where can you find them? Why, on social media on Facebook and Instagram @Creativenomadstudios, of course, and our website at www.CreativeNomadStudios.ca.  Do you have a topic you would like to see us write about? Drop a comment, and you just might see it in an upcoming blog.