Once you’ve gotten to the point of acceptance that you can’t ignore social media for your business and created an account, it’s time to think about what you need to do and not do.
Learning something new means there will be a learning curve and mistakes will be made. But there are definitely two different types of mistakes: those that you can easily bounce back from and those that have lasting consequences.
When it comes to social media (and the internet), knowing how to better your chances for achieving what you want out of it is crucial so I’ve complied this list of the top 10 mistakes I see people making and how you can avoid them.
Posting Just to Post
While you definitely don’t want to just let your account sit there without any posts, you do want to have a strategy of what to post. Posting “anything” so you have “something” on your social media account page is a mistake because your account says something about you.
The same way you wouldn’t have just “any” dinnerware for a wedding tablescape just to have “some” dinnerware to use or how you wouldn’t hire just “any” person for your team to have “some” warm body help be a face of your business – your business choices down to these very important details all say something about your business and your brand. Your social media account is the same. It is your online storefront that marrying couples see near the very beginning of their CX journey. (If you are confused about what a CX Journey is, email me and I can give you some points to consider in how you craft this for your clients: hello@thebridalmasterclass.com.)
Too Much Text
This mistake is usually made with the best of intentions. You want to showcase a testimonial. You want to announce new hours or a promotion. You want to advertise you make wedding dreams come true so they should drop what they are doing and call to make an appointment for a super fun time and a great deal plus you have a wonderful staff who is always happy and smiling and happy to help.
Now even if the last statement is true about your business, if you were going to write it all out, it becomes a chore to read, and by the time you get to the end, you’re at (or past) the point of rolling your eyes, right?
Why is that?
It’s because we all want to be shown not told.
Don’t tell me who you are – show me.
Show me who your business takes care of. Show me you doing alterations. Show me you making a cake. Show me you DJing or making a floral centerpiece or setting a tablescape. Show me happy couples. Show me a couple having fun at an appointment. Show me your team having fun and going out of their way to help.
Show me in a picture post, in a carousel, in a Reel/TikTok.
It is absolutely more work to show than tell, but you will absolutely get better engagement for the efforts you are putting into posting.
Scrolling Mindlessly
We’ve all been there. Your finger keeps swiping up and your brain shuts off. You double-tap and like lots of different posts without thinking. Or you start to watch IG Stories or Reels and just kind of zone out.
This is a mistake because you are telling the algorithm that you are interested in all the things you are seeing from the people/accounts you are seeing – whether you actually are interested or not.
Unless you enjoy scrolling mindlessly as a way to relax or for fun (of which I have no judgement!), do so on your personal account so you don’t confuse the algorithm about what your business is interested in and who the algorithm should show your content to.
Using Your Business Account As Your Personal Account
This mistake goes hand in hand with the above mistake of scrolling mindlessly and confusing the algorithm.
Remember that social media platforms like it (and will reward you) when you stay on the platform longer and when you get others to stay on the platform longer. It notices who you get to stay on the platform longer, who you interact and engage with on the platform, and what you search, save, repost, etc.
Keeping a separate account for any personal fashion finds, funny memes or videos, personal hobbies, sports or other topics that don’t directly relate to your business or your ideal client personas is important not just for your business but also for your personal pursuits.
Help the algorithm help your business.
Hopping On Every Trend (Too Late)
It seems like there is a new trend every minute and trying to spend your time learning a new dance can seem both important and a waste of time – so which is it?
Trends are a great way to get in front of a new audience because as we talked about above, the algorithm likes to show you things you have liked, watched, and engaged with previously. This goes for trending audio as well.
The problem is unless you are quick and savvy enough to learn the trend, record it, edit it and post it, the idea sits on your to-do list and by the time you get to it, the trend has passed.
But better late than never, right?
No.
Have you ever heard a song on the radio and loved it initially but then after the gazillionth time it’s played you’re covering your ears and running for the hills? Trending audio is similar in that once it gets passed the novelty stage, it gets to the annoying stage and if someone sees your Reel with the audio they’re sick of hearing, they swipe up without watching your Reel. This tells the algorithm that your content wasn’t worth watching so it doesn’t show your video to as many people.
Not Doing Reels/TikToks
“So what if I just don’t do any Reels then? I don’t want to make a mistake.”
No. Not doing any Reels/TikToks is a mistake you definitely don’t want to make more than hopping on every trend.
Reels/TikToks take more time to plan and execute but the payoff is so much better than regular posts.
Emotion is one of the biggest driving factors in sales. Think of a fast food ad. You can see a billboard with a pizza but unless you are starving at the time you see the ad, it probably won’t motivate you to go out and buy a one that minute.
But now think of watching sports on TV and it’s a commercial break. The commercial is of friends ordering pizza, the pizza showing up almost immediately (quick delivery) and then the friends enjoying the pizza and cheering on their team to make a goal.
Which ad is more likely to make someone take action? The last option, of course. But why?
Like we talked about above, it is showing (not telling), but more than that, it is appealing to your emotions. It is relatable, fun to watch and informative (shows what the ordering to delivery/eating experience is like).
If for no other reason to do videos like Reels/TikToks, it is by far the most effective way to market your business. Not doing it means whatever else you are doing will not give you the same ROI for your time and energy spent.
Not Joining TikTok
I know the last thing anyone wants to hear is that there is a new tech platform to learn, spend time on, and once you “get it” the platform will not be cool and you’ll have done all of that for nothing, right?
Well, not this time.
TikTok is where Gen Z and Millennials go to search for new things and in December 2021, it outranked Google as the most visited place on the internet.
Your ideal clients are on TikTok and will either find you or another business like you. Not being where they are puts you at a huge disadvantage. Having a business is hard enough – no need to make it harder. Go make a TikTok account if you haven’t already. (And if this is still scary, email me and I can walk you through exactly what to do: hello@thebridalmasterclass.com.)
Not Going On Social Media
Now that you have your social media accounts set up, how do you find the time to go on them when you have a million other things to do?
The two main reasons business owners don’t go on social media are because they don’t know what to do on it and they are so busy with everything else in their business.
Time is a big issue for most business owners. There is always something you need to do that pulls you away from things you want to do and you know are important for the life of your business.
But just like anything else in life or your business, if you need to get it done and you deem it important, you will carve out time to do it.
This is why we have our in-person content days so you can devote a whole day to learning hands-on how to create your social media strategy, create Reels/TikToks, and implement a plan going forward so it doesn’t seem as daunting of a task as it does right now.
We also created Streamline Social to help make social media strategy easy for anyone to execute. With customized templates and step-by-step instructions, you are guided to know what you need to do so you don’t waste your time. Email me if this sounds like it could help you and I can send you details: hello@thebridalmasterclass.com.
Not Prioritizing Your Social Media Strategy
So you go on your social media accounts but maybe not as often as you should.
But you’re busy, right? If someone has a question, they should call your store or email you, right?
Wrong.
Today’s couples want immediate responses and they are used to spending their time on Instagram and TikTok. If you haven’t replied to them in a day, chances are they have moved on and found someone else because you most likely were not the only business they contacted.
Why should you prioritize your social media? Because if you don’t, you are leaving money on the table.
Just Giving It To Someone Else To Figure Out
All of this is enough to start pulling your hair out, right?
Rules, algorithms, new things to learn, needing to find more hours in a day. How do you get it all done?
Some will say to just give it to someone else to figure out. Which can work, however only if that person understands your brand, messaging, your ideal clients, your CX journey, and your 9-grid strategy.
If they don’t understand those things, they won’t be able to target your audience and you won’t be able to measure whether or not you want to keep paying for them to do your social media when it isn’t helping your business.
Delegation may be needed because you can’t do everything, however when you delegate something you don’t understand, you can’t gauge how to optimize it both financially and operationally.
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All of these mistakes are common and easy to make, however they are also easy to fix. Social media is a wonderful tool to help your business do more with less once you understand how to make it work for your business.
If you are ready to start mapping out your social media strategy, come to one of our hands-on content days or email me for details about Streamline Social: hello@thebridalmasterclass.com.
