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Mistakes in Social Media Marketing
Ever have one of those moments when you learn something so obvious you feel like you should have known it since…forever? The origins of the word “mayday” was one of those moments for me. A few years ago I learned that it was basically the English version of “M’aider” in French, meaning, “Help Me”!
Interestingly, the origins of May Day have nothing to do with “mayday” the emergency call. The first day of May is celebrated as the first day of Summer in many countries. However, I couldn’t resist the homophonic sounds of posting about mayday around May Day. Yeah, I’m weird like that.
The result is this post with helpful tips for avoiding social media mistakes in 2022. I’ll “vous aidez” on May Day. Ok. I’m done.
6 Social Media Mistakes to Avoid in 2022
Inauthenticity
It’s easy to suss out a lie these days. Between Google and all the online videos of everything going on, there are few places to hide. If you’re trying to “put on” a show or character for your audience, eventually that picture of perfection will burst like a pumpkin dropped from a third-story balcony.
After years of every Chad and Chelsea polishing their profiles to perfection, we’re finally over that. My friend Giles explained this shift back to authenticity as a result of Generation Z coming up and demanding it. But I think we’re all just tired of being manipulated. I’m seeing a backlash against fear-based marketing and hustle culture in the social media industry and it makes my #Flawsome heart sing.
Going forward, brands and small businesses alike will need to adopt the philosophy of being #Flawsome: embracing your flaws and doing the thing anyway. Going live when your hair isn’t perfect. Making videos without waiting to lose weight. Publishing the podcast or video without editing the life and personality out of it.
Taking yourself too seriously
Along with being more authentic, future marketing isn’t going to be as serious. Take TikTok for example. Five years ago would you have believed dancing and lip-syncing to current music could propel your business forward? Everyone loves a bit of fun and personality. Crack a joke about your industry. Share a frustration. The best part about these fun short-form videos is they can be repurposed on all the networks (Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Google Web Stories…and likely others).
Doing what you always did
If you created your social media marketing plan in 2011…or 2015…or heck, 10 minutes ago…it’s probably time to take a look and update it again. Social media changes are faster than a teenager going through puberty. Algorithms and features are updated constantly. New platforms emerge in the middle of global strife. Things that used to work in social media, but don’t in 2022:
- Only sharing funny memes
- Only sharing content created by others
- Always asking for the sale
- Always sending people to your website
- Keyword stuffing for SEO
- Writing blogs that don’t have anything to do with your business
- Buying followers
- Follow ladders, follow-for-follow, and other “get followers quick” schemes
- Gatekeeping content
- Only using stock images
Avoiding video
Consumers remember 95% of content when presented via video as compared to reading. That handy stat and the rise of TikTok over the last two years likely played a part in Instagram’s announcement they would be focusing future endeavors on video. TikTok sees its competition as Netflix more than social media. All of this means you can no longer avoid video marketing.
Ignoring accessibility
Our world is becoming more and more inclusive. From hiring initiatives to reconciliation efforts with Indigenous nations, people expect the businesses they frequent to be more inclusive on all fronts. This includes making your social media presence as accessible as possible using the features you’re given. Use captions on your videos, add alt text descriptions to your photos, and be careful of your hashtag and emoji use. Alexa Heinrich has created a website to help us all make the social web more accessible.
Not building an email list
If I had a chocolate chip for every friend’s Instagram account that’s been lost to hackers in the last year, I could make a whole Banana Chocolate Chip Cake. Besides protecting all of your accounts with complex passwords and two-factor authentication, it’s long past time you had a backup plan for your business communications in case those things fail. Have you ever thought about trying to communicate with your fans if you lost your Facebook or Instagram account? How long would it take you to start over from scratch?
Email is still one of the best ways to talk to your customers as long as you’re using permission-based email capture. When customers sign up to get your emails it means they’re interested in your product…or at least your lead magnet. If your lead magnet or emails can help them solve their problems, who are they going to think of when they need more help?
If you haven’t taken the plunge to start building your email list yet, I suggest checking out my friend Daley Progress’ website for tips on starting your email newsletter.
