The Number One Social Media Pitfall | Small Business Marketing

Social Media is great for all businesses. I mean it. In fact, I would go as far to say it’s a must-have for every profitable business.

Let’s take a moment to think about some of our favourite brands on social media. Take Glossier. Over 2 million loyal millennial-pink loving followers (myself included) enjoy their down to earth approach to the beauty industry. Their whole business is designed for Instagram with the packaging screaming “share me”. And valued at over $1 BILLION, it’s safe to say Instagram marketing is working for them.

Businesses can be made on social media.

So we know just how powerful social media marketing is. We’ve put it on the daily to-do list. We’ve spent AGES arranging our flat lay and posted every day this week. The result is absolute peanuts and we’re left banging our head against our desk.

Because hands up who’s boarded the social media struggle train with your business?

*raises hand 🙋‍♀️*

It can feel freaking impossible to get right!

Well, today I am talking all about the number 1 mistake I see clients and small business owners make time and time again on social media.

The mistake

The biggest mistake you can make on social media is…

Are you ready?

Making it all about you, not your customer.

I’m asked on a regular basis “how do I grow my social media for my business?”

And when I open up a new tab and head to that person’s social media profiles, I’m met with a stream of self promotion.

Buy this candle, buy my coaching service.

“Erm, no thank you. What on earth is in it for me?”

Sales posts are needed on our business profiles. But when they dominate our feed and don’t focus on benefits for our customer, our audience (and potential audience) will say not today thank you.

Forget about self promotion. The key to growing a highly converting audience on social media is to talk to your customer about what they want to hear.

The customer Persona

As business owners we can so often become focussed on ourselves and the products we offer that we forget about the very reason we’re able to put food on the table or treat ourselves to another scented candle… Our customers.

So, the first thing I get every single new client to do is fill out a customer persona.

This is a detailed list of exactly who our customer is. What they enjoy and really hate. Where you can find them at the weekend. What makes their blood boil or cry happy tears.

When we get in the head of our customer, we can speak to them in a way that they find interesting and engaging = followers and customers skyrocket!

ACTION: Grab a pen and paper or open a new Google Document. Then dump down everything you can think of about your ideal customer. The one that wouldn’t think twice about buying your new service.

Then give them a name. Heck, give them a face to go with it.

Pin it above your desk and make a promise to yourself to familiarise yourself with it before posting.

ask yourself before posting

Does my ideal customer find this:

Useful (tips and tricks)
Interesting (stories that spark their attention)
or Inspirational (does it make them excited)?

If they don’t, it’s not the end of the world. Chances are it’ll take a couple of minutes to switch the focus towards your customer and their interests.

Ask yourself this question every time you’re sitting there with your latest post ready to go. It’ll help make the most of social media for you business. Hello happy bank account.

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