Almost one-third of the world uses social networks regularly, according to eMarketer. Social media networks provide a great way to increase brand awareness and engage with new and existing customers however many entrepreneurs are guilty of very basic social media marketing mistakes.

However, without a social media marketing plan, you can spend your whole day on social media with little to show for it. As an entrepreneur, every action you take on social networks should be a part of a larger social media marketing strategy.

That means every post, reply, like, and comment should all be guided by a plan that’s driving toward business goals. For new entrepreneurs, this might sound complicated and unnecessary, but if you take the time to create a comprehensive social media strategy, the rest of your social efforts should follow naturally. What could make it even easier for new entrepreneurs would be the use of alternatives to linktree so that you can share more content with links.

A lot of businesses have the habit of going into social media with no marketing plan or guidelines for growth and as a result, spend countless hours without results.

Social Media Marketing Mistakes

The biggest mistake most entrepreneurs make is going into social media without a specific plan. Your social media marketing plan should contain an audit of your current accounts, a list of SMART goals and a set of tools you need to accomplish those goals.

To create your social media marketing plan, you need to know how to know your ideal customer and how to find your target audience.

Mistake #1 – Not Knowing Your Audience

As pa o your social media marketing strategy, you need to be as specific as possible when it comes to your target audience. For example, if you identified your market as teenagers that’s a start. However, it is better to hone it down to a teenager that enjoys music, and is about to go to college and prefers Facebook over other social networks and enjoys camping.

Mistake #2 – Setting The Wrong Goals

How will you determine if your social media marketing efforts are successful? I am not just talking about gaining more followers, I am talking about making money. After all, it is hard to rationalize spending time and money on something that isn’t improving the bottom line. A few metrics to consider measuring are:

  • List Growth
  • Impressions
  • Conversion Rate (to list or purchase)
  • Time Spent on Website
  • Reach
  • Brand Mentions
  • Sentiment
  • Shares
  • Likes

Mistake #3 – Not Reporting and Adjusting

Most entrepreneurs make the mistake of creating a single strategy and sticking to it regardless of the results. Even the best social media marketers rely on trial and error. This may be the most important step when it comes to succeeding on social media. It might seem basic, but tracking your results, analyzing the data and then making tweaks to optimize them is crucial.

Succeed on Social Media Through an Effective Plan

A social media marketing plan is the summary of everything you plan to do and hope to achieve for your business using social networks. In general, the more specific you can get with your plan, the more effective you’ll be in its implementation. Try to keep it concise. Don’t make your social media marketing strategy so lofty and broad that it’s unattainable.

Most entrepreneurs will either start off with unrealistic goals that are unnatainable in the time frame given or they will stick to the the same plan without analyzing the results and adjusting.

A great social media strategy is never set in stone. It is a constant work in progress that changes when necessary. So get out there, create a strategy and start optimizing it as you continue to grow and learn more about your business and your audience.