Social media can be quite frustrating when you’re working so hard to keep your profiles updated, grow your brand, and garner support and results, to no avail. You may wonder, “What am I doing wrong?” Well, I’m here to tell you, you’re not crazy!
There may be one or two simple things that you’re missing, which are causing you to not get the kind of results you’re aiming for on social media.
May I digress for a moment?
As a Professional Dancer, and Dance Teacher by trade, I know that one little tweak in your execution of say, a pirouette (a ballet term, for a turn), can make or break you. Meaning, if you adjust just one thing while you’re turning, i.e. straighten your standing leg, spot, or engage your core, your turn can go from disaster, to dynamic!
The same is true for social media. You’ll be surprised at how much of a positive difference you can make in your social media strategy and online presence, by simply tweaking a few things here and there.
So let’s delve in to Part 3 of this series. Oh, and if you missed Part 1 and Part 2, you should definitely check them out. There’s a lot of good stuff in there. Some major eye-openers!!
The Top 25 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Results On Social Media (And How To Fix Them) – PART 3
20. You don’t have a website.
It’s hard to believe that in this day and age there are actually individuals and businesses that don’t have a website. If you are working a regular 9-5 job, you may feel like you don’t need to have a website, and maybe you don’t. Maybe your Linkedin profile is enough. Or maybe it isn’t. Any way that you can highlight your expertise and your value, and differentiate yourself from others in your industry is a win-win. Having a separate website allows you to do just that. If you’re an artist, blogger, entrepreneur, or business owner, a website is a MUST! It is not optional.
Not to mention, if you’re blogging regularly, or selling your products or services, your website can be a revenue-generating tool for you to use. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to be making money from your website while you work? Now you’re starting to understand the importance of having your own website. Establish one place for people to go to learn more about you, your background, your story, and what you have to offer professionally, or business-wise. Make it easy for people to learn more about your expertise, and find you online through search engines, in a strategic way.
21. Your website isn’t optimized for social media, and hasn’t been updated in the past 6 months to a year.
For the most part, people tend to visit your website once, never to return again. This is no good. One of the ways to combat this problem, is to have your social media links in a prominent place on your website, so that your website visitors can easily follow you on social media. That way, they will have a reason to come back to your website, as they see your blog posts or other links posted on your social profiles. But that’s not all. You don’t just want people to connect with you on social media, you want them to share your content on social media too. That’s where social share buttons come in.
Make sure they’re on every blog post, and on every page of your website, so your website visitors can easily share content from your website on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. Lastly, update your website regularly. I would recommend at least every 90 days. Tweak your about page, your products and services pages, add new photos, videos, press features, etc. Keep the content on your website fresh and up-to-date, at all times.
22. You’re not building your list.
The second way to combat the problem that I mentioned above (people visiting your website once, never to return again), is by building your e-mail list. This is one of the most important components of any marketing strategy, and crucial to your success online. By building your e-mail list, and getting direct access to your target market’s inboxes, you’re able to build trust, thought leadership, and relationships. It’s through this process that you convert your fans and followers into paying, loyal customers, and brand evangelists.
Choose whatever service you like. There are many great options out there like, Aweber (my personal choice), MailChimp, Constant Contact, and many more. Whatever you do, start building your list NOW! The sooner you start doing this, the better off you’ll be, and the sooner you’ll start seeing tangible results from your social media efforts.
23. You don’t post a call to action with your social media updates.
What do you want people to do when they read your social media updates? Do you want them to post a comment? Do you want them to like it, share it, tag someone, or click on a link? Be intentional and specific about what step you want people to take next, when posting your social media updates. Ask questions, encourage conversation, and add a call-to-action to your posts, to increase your engagement. Check out a great example below, from the amazing, Kim Garst!
Seriously, right? If God is for you, who can be against you. #FaithInBiz
Posted by Boom Social with Kim Garst on Saturday, May 16, 2015
24. You don’t send out an e-newsletter on a regular basis.
I think we are all guilty of getting off track with this from time to time. Lord knows I am! But consistency is key! When you send out an e-newsletter on a regular basis, people get used to opening your e-mails, and start to actually expect them, and look forward to reading them. Remember, they joined your list for a reason. So be consistent with your e-newsletter, and make it worthwhile to read. Every time your subscribers read your e-newsletter, and gain something of value from it, you build trust with them, and authority within your niche market.
A targeted e-mail subscriber list drives sales, and drives businesses to success. Don’t treat your e-newsletter like a place to just share company announcements, personal updates, or events. Make it personal, valuable, and useful. Put your readers first. Make sure they’re walking away smarter, wiser, more informed, and empowered after they read your newsletter. Your success online depends on it.
25. You don’t reply to people’s comments in a timely manner, interact, engage, or say thank you when people share your posts, mention you, tag you, etc.
You’ve heard it a million times before, “Social media isn’t just about having a large following, it’s about engagement”. So if engagement is what drives success on social media, why would you not make it a priority to interact with your fans and followers regularly? It’s so important to show people online that you care, and that you’re listening, and paying attention. It’s something so simple, but many people fail to do this. Trust me, it makes a huge difference in how you’re perceived online. I worked with a major client who’s online perception and reputation was terrible, simply because they never replied to people’s comments or questions on social media. No one likes to feel ignored. If you’re going to be active on social media, people expect you to respond and interact with them.
When you have people who consistently engage with you online, make it a point to highlight them in some way. Share one of their updates or blog posts, shout out your most engaged blog reader, or Instagram follower. Show your gratitude, and get social with your fans and followers.
This is Part 3 in my series, “The Top 25 Reasons Why You”re Not Getting Results On Social Media, and How To Fix Them”. Be sure to read Part 1 and Part 2, if you haven’t already. I promise that it will give you some great insight on how you can start getting better results on social media, starting today!
Did any of these points resonate with you? Where have you innocently slacked off in regards to social media in the past? Post your comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
If you found this post helpful, be sure to pin it, like it, and share it on your favorite social media sites! Sharing is caring! 🙂
If you’d like to learn even MORE about how to grow your brand and start getting REAL RESULTS on social media, I invite you to join my new Facebook group for entrepreneurs, artists, small business owners, bloggers, writers, dancers, and media professionals.
CLICK HERE to learn more about my secret Facebook group, “How To SHINE On Social Media With Ashani Mfuko”.
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